Meta teams up with science to understand digital discomfort!

Does social media make you happy or unhappy? This is the existential question of our interconnected age. Between addiction to likes, chronic FOMO, and digital depression, we intuitively feel that Facebook, Instagram, etc. are draining the joy out of our lives. But what is their real impact?

To answer this question, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has formed an unprecedented partnership with the Center for Open Science (COS). The goal will be to conduct a large scientific study to determine precisely how social networks affect people's well-being.

An initiative that seems praiseworthy

At first glance, this approach seems laudable. After all, who is better than a king social networks Can you shed some light on this topic? However, the timing of this announcement leaves one wondering. because dead Currently in turmoil. Wednesday, Mark Zuckerberg He will be heard in person in the US Senate to respond to a series of scandals that tarnish the protection of minors on his platforms.

Worse still, the group is the subject of two resounding lawsuits accusing it of deliberately encouraging harassment and addiction by younger users. It is therefore difficult to view this partnership as a purely charitable initiative. We wonder whether behind the calm speeches there is intelligently coordinated communication.

“At Meta, we want to do our part to contribute to the scientific community’s understanding of how different factors are or are not linked to people’s well-being. We are committed to doing this in a way that respects the privacy of the people who use our app.”, Curtis Cobb, vice president of research at Meta, said in a press release:

Toward an objective understanding of digital discomfort?

What matters in the end is motivation deadIf this research really makes it possible to better understand the sources of this information Digital discomfort, engaging in the vital diagnosis of our mental health is done online. According to COS (Center for Open Science), this program will use rigorous scientific methods, able to guarantee reliable and reproducible results.

Read also: Meta launches a data center in DeKalb, Illinois!

The organization also promises the greatest transparency, with systematic publication of discoveries, whether they match initial expectations or not. This can effectively advance the fundamental debate about the health impact of networking, beyond the often binary and sentimental characterization of this phenomenon.

On the voice of learning digital skills?

This research paves the way for a better understanding of the factors that cause online discomfort and sometimes fuel an individual's digital distress. On the social networksThis lack of awareness exacerbates our emotional vulnerability and stimulates our tendency to ruminate.

Deciphering these unconscious biases that intrude into social interactions through mediation can also heal wounds. Digital At the root and sustainably reconciling individual well-being and connected living.

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