Hooked online – anxiety and distraction from social media binging
Attention-grabbing online platforms weigh on peoples’ ability to concentrate and are being linked to poor mental health outcomes. The companies profiting from the attention economy may face increasing liabilities in the future.
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Social media, dating, streaming, gaming and other online platforms have become part of daily life. The business model of these platforms is based on constant hyperstimulation and novelty.2 They drive profits by maximizing user engagement and time spent online. But does constant interaction with online platforms affect a person’s brain, mood and mental health?
Too much stimulation?
The internet exposes users to an infinite stream of media, packed with notifications and hyperlinks, and directions to engage with multiple inputs simultaneously.3 Research suggests that increased media multi-tasking lessens our ability to perform tasks that need sustained attention.4 Evidence is also emerging of a narrower attention scope right after spending time online.5,6
Online platforms try to keep users scrolling, swiping and viewing for as long as possible. On many platforms, algorithms generate bite-sized content targeting the reward system of the human brain, enticing the viewer and making it difficult to look away. This encourages passive and addictive behaviours, such as doom scrolling (excessive scrolling through negative news) and/or binge-watching (watching online videos and streamed content for long periods of time). Such behaviours have been associated with increased levels of stress, anxiety, depression and sleep problems.7
Who’s responsible?
Awareness of the risks associated with excessive use of digital platforms is on the rise, and tools such as screen time control apps have become more popular. Even so, specific content on platforms can contribute to poor mental health. For example, in 2022 multiple lawsuits were filed against TikTok and Instagram on product liability grounds. The assertion was that algorithms generating content about dieting fostered teen eating disorders.8 In addition, the longer-term impacts of online stimulation are uncertain. For instance, the effect on brain development and cognitive function in children is not well understood, yet. Today, what is deemed “normal” use of online platforms may be a breeding ground for longer-term mental health issues, in turn leading to more household spending on health and higher associated insurance claims.
There is a view that the companies profiting from our attention should hold more liability. The Digital Services Act (DSA) currently pending final approval by member states of the European Union (EU) mandates that platform operators develop codes of conduct and provide transparency on their algorithms.9 This may lead to a new liability risk landscape for companies active in the field.
In the US, Section 230 of the Telecoms Act of 1996 has so far protected digital companies from liability around third-party content.10 The pending case of Gonzalez vs Google will show whether this can be applied to algorithm-based recommendations on digital platforms as well.11 The outcome may well shape if and how digital companies are held liable for the content on their platforms and the moderation thereof.
References
References
1 E.G. Wilmot et al, Sedentary time in adults and the association with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and death: systematic review and meta-analysis Diabetologia 55 (2012), p 2895– 2905 ; A. Chaddah et al., Mental health and cardiovascular disease, American Journal of Medicine 129 (Nov. 2016), p 1145–1148.
2 Online platforms & mental health – a policy proposal ((Harvard Kenendy School, CARR CENTER for Human Rights Policy) (2022)
3 K, Kee Loh et al., “How Has the Internet Reshaped Human Cognition?”, Volume 22, Issue 5, Sage Journals, July 9 2016.
4 M, Peng et al., “Minds and brains of media multitaskers: Current findings and future directions”, PNAS, 1 October 2018.
5 “Attentional scope is reduced by Internet use: A behavior and ERP study”, PLOS One, June 8 2018.
6 J, Firth et al., “The ‘online brain’: how the Internet may be changing our cognition”, Wiley Online Library, May 6 2019.
7 Z, Alimoradi et al., “Binge-Watching and Mental Health Problems: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”, MDPI, June 20 2022; B, McLaughlin et al., “Caught in a Dangerous World: Problematic News Consumption and Its Relationship to Mental and Physical Ill-Being”, Taylor & Francis Online, 23 August 2022.
8 “Social media is a defective product, lawsuit contends”, Politico, 26 January 2023, “Two new lawsuits claim Meta’s Instagram caused eating disorders”, Reuters, 26 July 2022.
9 P. Popiel. “The Push to Regulate Digital Markets and Services”, Current History, January 2023.
10 See Telecommunications Act of 1996, Federal Communications Commission.
11 Google v. Gonzalez LLC, American Civil Liberties Union, 27 February 2023.