Chronic social media use can make you delulu: study

SFU study shows a direct link between social media use and mental health disorders.

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A new study from Simon Fraser University (SFU) has found a strong connection between high levels of social media use and the development of psychiatric disorders involving delusions, including narcissism, body dysmorphic disorder, and anorexia.

The research, published in BMC Psychiatry, is a systematic review of over 2,500 academic papers that explore the relationship between social media and mental health. The findings suggest that delusions are the most common psychiatric disorders associated with frequent social media use.

The study highlights several specific delusional disorders exacerbated by social media, including narcissistic personality disorder (delusions of superiority), erotomania (delusions that someone famous is in love with you), and body dysmorphic disorder (delusions of physical flaws).

According to Bernard Crespi, a professor of biological sciences and Canada Research Chair in Evolutionary Genetics and Psychology at SFU, social media platforms create an environment that makes it easier for these delusions to form and persist.

"Social media is creating conditions where delusions can more easily be generated and sustained due to the presence of platforms and apps that cater to the disorder's causes, plus the absence of effective reality-checking," said Crespi. "This research has important implications for the causes and symptoms of mental illnesses and how they can be exacerbated by online social platforms."

While social media can foster communities and a sense of belonging, Crespi and co-author Nancy Yang argue that for individuals at higher risk, it can have negative effects. The virtual world, combined with real-life social isolation, allows people to sustain a distorted sense of self without the necessary scrutiny that typically occurs in face-to-face interactions.

The study suggests that the features of many popular social media platforms—such as the ability to present an idealised version of oneself—can worsen mental and physical delusions.

The difference between online and in-person social interactions, where delusions are more likely to be challenged, further exacerbates the impact on mental well-being.

The researchers recommend that people with disorders involving high levels of delusional thinking reduce their social media use. They also advocate for further research into the specific features of social media that encourage such delusions, as well as potential ways to make online interactions more grounded in real-life experiences.

The use of technologies such as eye-contact technology, 3D perspectives, and avatars is suggested as a possible way to help improve the reality of online communication.

The study concludes that while social media is not inherently harmful, its use needs to be carefully managed to avoid exacerbating mental health disorders, particularly those characterised by delusions.