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...

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...

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...