LONDON: There is"no evidence" that the growth in using Facebook led to"widespread psychological harm", the largest independent scientific study on the topic concluded Wednesday , contradicting previous analyses and widespread perceptions.
Facebook provided data, which its researchers had checked for accuracy, but did not commission, fund or influence the design of the study, or know the findings beforehand, according to the Oxford team.Andrew Przybylski, an Oxford University human behaviour and technology professor, said they"examined the best available data carefully - and found they did not support the idea that Facebook membership is related to harm".
Researchers on the project, which began before the Covid pandemic, worked for more than two years to secure the key data from Facebook, which currently reports nearly three billion users worldwide. They contrast with previous studies, including two separate academic analyses last year which found Facebook had a negative impact on US college students' mental health, as well as litigation in the United States.