Chapter 21: Quiz
1. The correlation between social media use and adolescent wellbeing in large datasets is approximately:
- A) r = 0.60 (very strong)
- B) r = 0.30 (moderate)
- C) r = 0.04–0.15 (small — comparable to wearing glasses or eating potatoes)
- D) r = 0.00 (no association)
Answer: C. Orben and Przybylski's analyses of large datasets find the association is small, accounting for less than 0.5–2% of the variance in wellbeing.
2. The Haidt and Orben/Przybylski positions AGREE on:
- A) Nothing — they completely disagree
- B) Youth mental health has deteriorated, the correlation between social media and wellbeing exists, and more research is needed
- C) Social media definitely causes depression
- D) Social media has no effect whatsoever
Answer: B. Both sides accept the data showing deteriorating youth mental health and the existence of a correlation. They disagree about its magnitude, causal direction, and relative importance.
3. The specification curve analysis (Orben & Przybylski, 2019) showed:
- A) That social media always harms wellbeing
- B) That the association varies enormously depending on analytical choices — approximately 60% of specifications showed negative associations, 40% showed null or positive
- C) That social media improves wellbeing
- D) That the data is fabricated
Answer: B. The specification curve demonstrates that the result depends heavily on analytical choices, making strong claims about "the" association misleading.
4. The Facebook Files (2021) revealed:
- A) That Facebook proved social media causes depression
- B) That Meta's internal research found Instagram was associated with body image concerns and suicidal ideation among some teen girls — but the research was self-report from non-random samples
- C) That Facebook has cured teen depression
- D) That internal research showed no effects at all
Answer: B. The internal research was concerning but was not a rigorous study — it was based on self-report from non-random samples, making it suggestive but not conclusive.
5. Which of the following factors has a STRONGER association with adolescent wellbeing than social media use?
- A) Sleep quality
- B) Family relationships
- C) Bullying
- D) All of the above
Answer: D. Sleep, family relationships, and bullying all have stronger associations with youth wellbeing than screen time or social media use.
6. The term "reverse causation" in this debate refers to:
- A) Social media causing wellbeing to improve
- B) The possibility that depressed teens use more social media, rather than social media causing the depression
- C) Researchers reversing their conclusions
- D) Social media companies reversing their policies
Answer: B. Reverse causation is a major alternative explanation: poor wellbeing might lead to increased social media use (seeking connection, escape) rather than the other way around.
7. The chapter's overall verdict on "social media causes depression" is:
- A) Definitively proven
- B) Definitively debunked
- C) Unresolved — the correlation exists but is small, causation is not established, and genuine scientific disagreement remains
- D) Not worth studying
Answer: C. The chapter rates the causal claim as genuinely unresolved, reflecting real scientific disagreement that the public narrative often ignores.
8. For which subgroup might social media be genuinely BENEFICIAL?
- A) All teenagers equally
- B) LGBTQ+ youth, geographically isolated youth, and those with niche interests who find community and support online
- C) Only adults over 30
- D) Only people without mental health conditions
Answer: B. Social media can provide community, identity affirmation, and support for youth who are marginalized or isolated — a benefit rarely captured in the "social media is harmful" narrative.
9. Haidt's The Anxious Generation argues that:
- A) Social media has no effect on youth
- B) The transition from play-based to phone-based childhood is a primary driver of rising youth anxiety and depression
- C) Only boys are affected by social media
- D) Social media causes physical illness but not mental illness
Answer: B. Haidt's central argument is that the "great rewiring" — replacing unstructured play with smartphone-based socialization — is a primary causal factor in the youth mental health crisis.
10. The chapter recommends that when evaluating claims about social media and mental health, you should:
- A) Always trust the most alarming version
- B) Apply the toolkit: check effect sizes, distinguish correlation from causation, acknowledge genuine disagreement, and resist the certainty that neither side of the debate has earned
- C) Ignore all research and trust your gut
- D) Only listen to researchers who agree with your prior beliefs
Answer: B. The toolkit applies here: effect sizes, causal evidence, scientific disagreement, and appropriate uncertainty are all essential for navigating this debate honestly.