I don't know about the ballot initiative or Common Sense Media, but plenty of studies suggest or show online harms associated with adolescent use of social media. Can you share any specific sources that lead you to believe "no data support this"?
Pediatrics, psychiatry, and public health are among the fields that have contributed to research. Then, there's also the platform's own research, which reported that use was associated with depression, anxiety, and a distorted view of oneself.
A good overview of the types of harms found in both internal and external research can be found here Case Study on Online Youth Harms – Project Daisy
Many of these harms are not unique to social media, just as burns aren't exclusive to car accidents. The claim there's no evidence of harm, though, is difficult to understand.
The harms are independent of how we address it and whether people overreact, so I want to make that distinction.
Balt, E., Mérelle, S., Robinson, J. et al. Social media use of adolescents who died by suicide: lessons from a psychological autopsy study. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health 17, 48 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-023-00597-9
Bozzola E, Spina G, Agostiniani R, Barni S, Russo R, Scarpato E, Di Mauro A, Di Stefano AV, Caruso C, Corsello G, Staiano A. The Use of Social Media in Children and Adolescents: Scoping Review on the Potential Risks. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Aug 12;19(16):9960. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19169960.
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Janice, H. T. (2023). US Surgeon General warns about excessive social media use by young people. BMJ: British Medical Journal (Online), 381 doi:https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.p1211
Li, E. Rosalie. 2023. “Penny for Their Harm.” InfoEpi Lab, December. https://infoepi.org/posts/2023/12/20-penny-for-their-harm.
Riehm KE, Feder KA, Tormohlen KN, et al. Associations Between Time Spent Using Social Media and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems Among US Youth. JAMA Psychiatry. 2019;76(12):1266–1273. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.2325
Franchina, V., Vanden Abeele, M., van Rooij, A. J., Lo Coco, G., & De Marez, L. (2018). Fear of missing out as a predictor of problematic social media use and phubbing behavior among Flemish adolescents. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(10), 2319.
Twenge, J. M., Haidt, J., Lozano, J., & Cummins, K. M. (2022). Specification curve analysis shows that social media use is linked to poor mental health, especially among girls. Acta Psychologica, 224(103512), 103512.
Vincente-Benito, I. (2023). Influence of social media use on body image and well-being among adolescents and young adults: A systematic review. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing & Mental Health Services, 61(12), 11-18. doi:https://doi.org/10.3928/02793695-20230524-02
Wilksch, S. M., O’Shea, A., Ho, P., Byrne, S., & Wade, T. D. (2020). The relationship between social media use and disordered eating in young adolescents. The International Journal of Eating Disorders, 53(1), 96–106.
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