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Does Social Media Help or Hurt Mental Health? What Causal and Quasi-Experimental Approaches Can Tell Us

Munmun De Choudhury

Associate Professor, School of Interactive Computing; Director, Social Dynamics and Well-Being Laboratory; Co-Lead of Patient-Centered Care Delivery, Pediatric Technology Center Georgia Institute of Technology

Munmun

Abstract: Social media platforms continue to accrue important roles in our lives. Popular discourse has discussed the impact of social media on a variety of outcomes, from political polarization to issues of social justice. Is social media good or bad when it comes to mental health? This talk seeks to answer this question through a series of quasi-experimental observational studies, looking to a population that stands to both benefit as well as get harmed online — those who struggle with mental illnesses. First, through propensity score modeling of language change online, I will situate how social support can help to reduce suicidal thoughts. In contrast, a second study will employ an interrupted time series modeling approach to reveal the alarming ways online harassment can aggravate mental health outcomes. Ultimately, I will discuss how the answer to this question depends on the context. Adopting a human-centered lens, I will discuss the complex role of social media in patients’ social reintegration efforts following a major psychiatric episode. The talk will underscore the urgent need for robust and comprehensive solutions to mitigate the harmful effects of social media, while amplifying its positives. By collaborating with mental health professionals, policymakers, and the victims of these threats, the talk will conclude with calls to action to conceptualize and develop targeted interventions that can effectively safeguard mental health in today’s rapidly evolving online ecosystems.

Bio: Munmun De Choudhury is an Associate Professor at the School of Interactive Computing and a Co-Lead of Patient-Centered Care Delivery at the Pediatric Technology Center in Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. De Choudhury is known for her contributions to the fields of computational social science, human-computer interaction, and digital mental health. She and her collaborators have contributed significantly to advancing the development of computational techniques for early detection and intervention in mental health, as well as in unpacking how social media use benefits or harms mental well-being. De Choudhury’s contributions have been recognized worldwide, with awards like the 2023 SIGCHI Societal Impact Award, the 2023 ICWSM and the 2022 Web Science Trust Test-of-Time Awards, the 2021 ACM-W Rising Star Award, the 2019 Complex Systems Society – Junior Scientific Award, as well as nearly two dozen paper awards. In 2024, she was inducted into the SIGCHI Academy. Beyond her academic achievements, Dr. De Choudhury was an invited contributor to the Office of U.S. Surgeon General’s 2023 Advisory on The Healing Effects of Social Connection and is serving as a member of the Technical Advisory Group of the Commission for Social Connection at the World Health Organization.

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