If you login to Instagram right now and search for #depression, you’ll see a warning. It reads: “Posts with words you’re searching for often encourage behavior that can cause harm and even lead to death.”

You can bypass this warning and see the tagged posts. Or you can click on a “Get Suppo...

According to reporting from CNET, Instagram and other social media sites first started to implement these warnings last year. They began by flagging content related to eating disorders and negative body image, and have since expanded the program to depression and other forms of psychological dist...

For years, some researchers — notably Jean Twenge, PhD, at San Diego State University — have been trying to warn us that social media can be risky, perhaps especially for young people or those with mental health challenges. But social media’s defenders have often argued that these platforms allow...

Also, researchers have found that members of vulnerable groups may feel better after spending time away from social media. For example, a 2020 study on LGBTQ youths who attended a social media-free summer camp found “across the board” reductions in depressive symptoms among those teens who’d spen...

If you can’t stay away from social media, Primack recommends trying to limit your time on it as much as possible. If you’re a heavy user, trying to trim your habit to less than two hours a day may be beneficial, his research suggests.

He also offers this advice: “Focus on small groups, incl...