████: "The main findings of the [Nielsen deactivation study] are: 1. People who stopped using Facebook for a week reported an improvement in certain types of emotions (e.g., depression, anxiety, loneliness, and social comparison), but no change in other outcomes (e.g., political polarization, or meaningful interactions). 2. Most of the effects we found are linked to people's beliefs about Facebook. For example, the reductions in feelings of depression, anxiety, and loneliness associated with deactivation appeared mostly among participants who believed (prior to participating in the study) that Facebook was bad for them."
Nick Clegg: "I'm also keen to understand the distinctions being drawn here: whilst I understand this study seems to suggest that the media narrative around FB heavily shapes people's perceptions of their own use of FB, if the net effect is that not using FB makes some people feel better (in some respects) is it really possible to claim that the effect is all due to media conditioning/perception?
Meta & Children's Online Safety