Mark Zuckerberg Says Research On Doomscrolling's Impact Is 'Inconclusive,' But Experts Say The Data Tells A Different Story

Meta Platforms Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently claimed that social media is not inherently harmful, arguing that the effects of online platforms depend mainly on how people use them.

What Happened: Appearing on the ‘This Past Weekend’ podcast, Zuckerberg pushed back when host Theo Von asked if social media is bad for people. "We work with academics to study it," he said, adding, "You know, as you can imagine, there’s a lot of like media coverage of this stuff that’s like very sensationalist, that tries to like have a skewed point of view. My understanding of the current state of the research is that there isn’t kind of a conclusive finding that this is negative for people’s well-being."

He went on to draw a line between the "media" and "social" sides of social media, stressing that authentic interactions and "good relationships" are closely linked to well-being, while passive entertainment doesn't necessarily help or hurt human well-being. He proposed the idea that the current digital environment is a neutral setting, much like choosing between city and rural life, with its own mix of pros and cons.

From Zuckerberg's perspective, technology tends to offer more freedom, creativity, and the option to "not have to work as hard." He insisted that user choice, not corporate intent, ultimately shapes the impact social media has on human lives: "Just because I build something doesn’t mean that people are going to use it,” he said, adding, "people are smarter than people think."

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Why It Matters: Zuckerberg's claims about the "inconclusive" nature of research findings related to the negative impacts of social media are similar to the statements he made at a Capitol Hill hearing in March 2021. Despite scientists contesting his claims, Zuckerberg has maintained his position.

The CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey in 2024 found that "frequent social media users were more likely to report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness". It also said that "frequent social media users were more likely to report having seriously considered attempting suicide and having made a suicide plan."

While Zuckerberg alleges that media reports on ‘doomscrolling' are "very sensationalist," psychiatrists, such as U.C. San Diego's Dr. Susan Tapart, say "Our body may respond to repeated bad news as if it were in continuous danger, involving changes like stress hormone surges, increased heart rate and feeling on edge or exhausted. Over time, this could contribute to anxiety or depression."

According to studies cited by Harvard Health Publishing, "doomscrolling is linked to worse mental well-being and life satisfaction" and "evokes greater levels of existential anxiety — a feeling of dread or panic that arises when we confront the limitations of our existence."

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