About this Research Topic
With the increased accessibility to the internet and social media, discussions on how online activities and contents may affect mental health have also grown. Simultaneously, the industry of Trust & Safety, which primarily concerns setting up practices to safeguard users from potential harm (e.g., fraud, harassment, hate speech, graphic content) are becoming more mature. For instance, Trust & Safety practices may include enabling users to report and flag concerning content and hiring content moderators to review and remove them. Despite these efforts to increase the potential benefits and reduce the potential harms of online platforms for users, the efficacy of these practices remains unclear. For instance, mixed evidence exists on the benefits and harms of social media and the efficacy of preventive steps online platforms have taken. This research topic aims to shed light on the relationship among the use of the internet and social media, mental health, and Trust & Safety practices.
Along with this, as the use of social media increases, so seems to do the instances of its problematic use. However, up to now, there is no accordance among researchers about defining and measuring social media problematic use, and conceptualization problems are emerging. Indeed, terms such as social media (or specific social network sites)- addiction, misuse, problematic use, maladaptive use, overuse are often adopted in an interchangeable way. Furthermore, the problematic use of social media is emerging as a topic of concern under several points of view including social and psychological ones [e.g., poor wellbeing and mental health]. This research topic also aims to shed light on and characterize these phenomena, as well as to provide research for understanding those mechanisms associated with and pathways towards the problematic use of social media. Insights from neuroscientific research are also welcome.
Accordingly, the general goal of this research topic is to curate studies that may shed light on the relationship among the use of the internet and social media, mental health, and Trust & Safety practices. More specifically, it aims at providing an overview on the state of the art of what may constitute and characterize healthy vs problematic social media use, as well as at addressing the conceptualization problem previously highlighted.
Furthermore, another aim is to provide an overview on research about mental health effects of the internet and social media use, with a special attention on contents, activities, and Trust & Safety practices. Accordingly, we welcome foundational research and basic science studies that aim to understand how mental health symptoms may develop in relation to the use of the internet and social media, and how these processes may bear implications for Trust & Safety practices. We also welcome applied research that examines how different online contents and activities may impact mental health among specific groups (e.g., adolescents, individuals at risk for suicide, content moderators). This article collection would also provide a focus on how this knowledge can lead to intervention possibilities. Intervention research on therapeutic techniques, tools, policies that may promote mental health and reduce harm is also suitable for this Topic.
Studies that address similar research questions as those listed below are encouraged to submit:
● Basic science research on mental health in relation to the internet and social media use:
o What are the mechanisms of developing adverse mental health outcomes (e.g., secondary traumatic stress, depression, anxiety)?
o How can the mechanisms of developing negative mental health outcomes be disrupted?
o Which mechanisms can lead to problematic internet and social media use?
o When does social media use become problematic and when not? Which usage pattern can be considered problematic?
● Trust & Safety and mental health for users:
o What are the risk and protective factors of experiencing negative mental health outcomes due to engagement with online content and activities?
o Which populations may be particularly at risk and why?
o How can Trust & Safety practices reduce risk for negative outcomes and promote psychological wellbeing?
● Mental health for Trust & Safety employees:
o What are content moderators’ experiences at the job?
o What types of content might produce the most harm and how can we reduce harm?
o What is the current state of interventions for content moderators and what’s their efficacy?
o What are the protective factors that helped content moderators in their jobs?
Along with this, as the use of social media increases, so seems to do the instances of its problematic use. However, up to now, there is no accordance among researchers about defining and measuring social media problematic use, and conceptualization problems are emerging. Indeed, terms such as social media (or specific social network sites)- addiction, misuse, problematic use, maladaptive use, overuse are often adopted in an interchangeable way. Furthermore, the problematic use of social media is emerging as a topic of concern under several points of view including social and psychological ones [e.g., poor wellbeing and mental health]. This research topic also aims to shed light on and characterize these phenomena, as well as to provide research for understanding those mechanisms associated with and pathways towards the problematic use of social media. Insights from neuroscientific research are also welcome.
Accordingly, the general goal of this research topic is to curate studies that may shed light on the relationship among the use of the internet and social media, mental health, and Trust & Safety practices. More specifically, it aims at providing an overview on the state of the art of what may constitute and characterize healthy vs problematic social media use, as well as at addressing the conceptualization problem previously highlighted.
Furthermore, another aim is to provide an overview on research about mental health effects of the internet and social media use, with a special attention on contents, activities, and Trust & Safety practices. Accordingly, we welcome foundational research and basic science studies that aim to understand how mental health symptoms may develop in relation to the use of the internet and social media, and how these processes may bear implications for Trust & Safety practices. We also welcome applied research that examines how different online contents and activities may impact mental health among specific groups (e.g., adolescents, individuals at risk for suicide, content moderators). This article collection would also provide a focus on how this knowledge can lead to intervention possibilities. Intervention research on therapeutic techniques, tools, policies that may promote mental health and reduce harm is also suitable for this Topic.
Studies that address similar research questions as those listed below are encouraged to submit:
● Basic science research on mental health in relation to the internet and social media use:
o What are the mechanisms of developing adverse mental health outcomes (e.g., secondary traumatic stress, depression, anxiety)?
o How can the mechanisms of developing negative mental health outcomes be disrupted?
o Which mechanisms can lead to problematic internet and social media use?
o When does social media use become problematic and when not? Which usage pattern can be considered problematic?
● Trust & Safety and mental health for users:
o What are the risk and protective factors of experiencing negative mental health outcomes due to engagement with online content and activities?
o Which populations may be particularly at risk and why?
o How can Trust & Safety practices reduce risk for negative outcomes and promote psychological wellbeing?
● Mental health for Trust & Safety employees:
o What are content moderators’ experiences at the job?
o What types of content might produce the most harm and how can we reduce harm?
o What is the current state of interventions for content moderators and what’s their efficacy?
o What are the protective factors that helped content moderators in their jobs?
Keywords: content exposure, traumatic stress, cyberbullying, suicide and self-injury, policy, problematic social media use, social media use
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
