Study suggests teenagers who trust internet information find it less stressful

tech.hindustantimes.com:

Teens' trust in the news they read on social media - or lack thereof - may be critical in determining whether it contributes to or detracts from their well-being, according to a Cornell-led psychology study.

Researchers found that those who trusted the COVID-19 information they saw on Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok were more likely to feel empowered, while those who were less trusting were more likely to find it stressful.

The findings highlight the need for news literacy programs to help young people discern fact-based, trustworthy sources from misinformation and conspiracy theories, and support a more nuanced understanding of how social media use impacts well-being and mental health.

"It's not just the sheer volume of social media use that's going to have this positive or negative effect," said Adam Hoffman, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and College of Human Ecology, adding, "It's how you engage with social media news that will be more influential in determining how it impacts you."

Hoffman is the lead author of "The Importance of Trust in the Relation Between Covid-19 Information from Social Media and Well-being Among Adolescents and Young Adults," published March 23 in PLOS ONE. Nine co-authors are based at North Carolina State University, the University of Virginia, South Carolina-based nonprofit EdVenture, and in the U.K., the University of Exeter and the University of Cambridge.

Prior research on social media's impact on well-being and mental health is somewhat muddled, the scholars said, finding both good and bad influences. For example, some studies have shown it can foster social connection and self-expression, others that it facilitates bullying and feelings of inferiority.

As the pandemic took