There are almost 50 harmful effects linked to the use of social media, a new study reveals – and they're not just mental health-related.
Academics at the University of Technology Sydney report a hefty 46 harmful effects linked to the use of sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Among them are anxiety, depression, being harassed, incitement to suicide, cyberstalking, delinquency, jealously, information overload and lack of online safety, they reveal in a new paper.
Overall, issues of social media range from physical and mental health problems to negative impacts on job and academic performance, as well as security and privacy issues, according to the academics.
Among the 46 harmful effects of social media were found to be anxiety, depression, being harassed, incitement to suicide, cyberstalking and information overload (stock image)
Until now, research on social networks has focused 'overwhelmingly on their benefits and potential', they say, but this means their negative effects have been overlooked.
'This study builds on the limited existing work on the so-called "dark side" of using OSNs [online social networks],' the study authors say in their paper.
'The enormous popularity of OSNs highlights the importance of understanding both the positive and negative implications of their use.'
For the study, the team reviewed more than 50 research articles published between 2003 and 2018.
In 2003, social media was still in its infancy and Facebook wouldn't be established for another year. One of the early social
