The Dark Side of Social Media: Recommender Algorithms and Mental Health

This paper investigates the impact of social media algorithms on mental health outcomes. I exploit a quasi-experimental setting combining data from the Dutch Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences (LISS) panel and the introduction of the algorithmic feed on Instagram in 2016. I estimate a difference-in-differences model comparing individuals with an Instagram account to individuals with accounts on other social media platforms. The results show that the introduction of the algorithm on Instagram had a negative impact on teenagers’ mental health, affecting both males and females. Additional evidence on mechanisms reveals that the algorithm fosters social isolation and intensifies negative social comparison, particularly affecting females through increased need for validation and diminished self-worth and self-esteem.