Researchers at the Oxford Internet Institute, who said their study was the largest of its kind, said they found no evidence to support “popular ideas that certain groups are more at risk” from the technology.
However, Andrew Przybylski, professor at the institute—part of the University of Oxford—said that the data necessary to establish a causal connection was “absent” without more cooperation from tech companies. If apps do harm mental health, only the companies that build them have the user data that could prove it, he said.
It’s hard to measure happiness, but maybe they should study mental health and happiness of people who don’t use social media. Then compare the groups.
It’s also probably difficult to determine impact of social media in persons who never experienced life without social media. I would liken it to the this is fine, dog on fire meme.
The study is about the internet as a whole, not social media.