Post, Like, Scroll – Does Social Media Need a Shorter Digital Leash?

"It is very likely that intensive use of social media often leads to poorer school, academic or professional performance. It is also difficult to resist the urge to use social media, like it is difficult to resist unhealthy foods such as sugar. However, negative effects of social media use on mental health rarely occur," says cep digital expert Matthias Kullas, who analysed a total of around 40 international studies in a meta-analysis.

Only very few studies were able to prove negative effects on mental health. But, Kullas emphasises that many users want to spend significantly less time on social media platforms. To help them, he suggests strengthening users' social media literacy. "This can take the form of warnings that appear when installing, opening or intensively using social media," advises the cep researcher.

With a view to a possible adaptation of EU regulation, Kullas also suggests that certain design elements should be restricted. These include push notifications and endless scrolling & streaming. "We should also consider banning addictive algorithms," advises the cep expert.