Is Facebook Harmful to Your Well-Being? Here's What Oxford Scientists Have to Say

Ever since the dawn of social media platforms, there have always been concerns about how networks such as Facebook could affect one's well-being. But is there really a link between one's usage of Facebook to their well-being?

A new study conducted by the Oxford Internet Institute has shed light on the impact of Facebook's global reach on psychological well-being, dispelling common assumptions about the platform's effects.

Influence of Facebook Across 72 Countries

This comprehensive study delved into the influence of Facebook across 72 countries in a span of 12 years, utilizing well-being data from nearly a million individuals.

The research, led by Professor Andrew Przybylski and Professor Matti Vuorre, aims to explore and probe the impact of Facebook on well-being.

Contrary to prevailing notions about the negative impact of social media on well-being, the Oxford research concluded that there's "no evidence" that Facebook worldwide adoption is linked to widespread negative well-being.

Their findings suggest a potentially positive connection. The research paper emphasized that while concerns about detrimental psychological outcomes tied to social media are prevalent, these concerns are more speculative than conclusively proven.

Przybylski said in a statement, "We examined the best available data carefully - and found they did not support the idea that Facebook membership is related to harm, quite the opposite. In fact, our analysis indicates Facebook is possibly related to positive well-being."

The study systematically assessed vast volumes of data, debunking widely held misconceptions about the psychological harm linked to Facebook. However, Przybylski was careful to clarify, "This is not to say this is evidence that Facebook is good for the well-being of users."

Instead, Przybylski noted that "the best global data does not support the idea that the expansion of social media has a negative global association with well-being across nations and different demographics."

According to Vuorre, a significant limitation of previous research on the relationship between social media use and well-being has focused on data from the Global North, and it is dependent on unreliable self-reported measures of social media engagement.

In their latest study, the team has taken a much broader approach by examining Facebook usage data alongside comprehensive well-being data that spans a wide geographical range.

Facebook's Involvement

The team noted that Facebook's involvement in the study was limited to providing data - the company neither commissioned nor funded the research.

Although Facebook assisted in ensuring data accuracy, the researchers said it did not influence the study's design or gain knowledge of its findings before publicly disclosed. Initiated before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Oxford research worked for over two years to secure essential Facebook data.

Merging existing well-being data from Gallup, a management consulting company covering nearly one million people from 2008 to 2019, with global Facebook usage data, the researchers gained insights into the relationship between Facebook engagement and well-being on a countrywide scale.

Przybylski and Vuorre tackled the notion that trends in social media usage and well-being are intertwined. They scrutinized the connection between Facebook adoption and well-being indicators, including life satisfaction and positive and negative psychological experiences, across 72 countries and various demographics.

Their findings consistently revealed either positive correlations or neutral associations between Facebook engagement and well-being metrics. Interestingly, the study also explored variations based on age and gender.

Although minor, they observed that the link between Facebook adoption and well-being was marginally more positive for males and younger individuals.

In alignment with prior studies by Oxford experts, this research contributes to the discourse on the relationship between digital technology and mental health, highlighting that technology use hasn't necessarily led to escalating negative psychological consequences over time.

The findings of the study were published on the Royal Society website.