A recent study has discovered that the utilization of the internet does not seem to have any detrimental effects on mental health.

 

The largest study of its kind, conducted by researchers at the Oxford Internet Institute, found no evidence to support the widely claimed concerns that mobile apps and online activities such as social media and gaming cause depression and anxiety. The study, which analyzed data on psychological wellbeing from over 2 million people in 168 countries between 2005 and 2022, found no "smoking gun" for widespread harm to mental health from internet use. However, the researchers noted that the data necessary to establish a causal connection was "absent" without more cooperation from tech companies. While there was "some evidence" of greater associations between mental health problems and technology, the researchers concluded that the internet and technologies enabled by it are not actively promoting or harming mental health globally. Any regulation aimed at addressing the issue should be based on much more "conclusive" evidence, given the high stakes involved. The study was published in the journal Clinical Psychological Science.