Simon Fraser University researchers say there's a connection between high usage of social media use and certain psychiatric disorders.
A study of all available academic literature, including the scrutiny of more than 2,500 publications on social media use and psychiatric disorders, forms of delusions were "by far" the most prevalent form of psychiatric disorders.
“Social media is creating conditions where delusions can more easily be generated and sustained due to the presence of platforms and apps that cater to the disorder’s causes, plus the absence of effective reality-checking," said Bernard Crespi, professor of biological sciences and Canada Research Chair in Evolutionary Genetics and Psychology at SFU, in a news release.
“This research has important implications for the causes and symptoms of mental illnesses, and how they can be exacerbated by online social platforms."
Notable disorders included narcissistic personality disorder (delusions of superiority), erotomania (delusions that someone famous loves you), body dysmorphic disorder (delusions of flaws in some part of one's body) and anorexia (delusions about body size).
Authors of the study determined social media itself isn't "inherently problematic," but virtual worlds and social isolation in "real life" can create environments in which people maintain a delusional sense of self-identity without judgment or scrutiny.
Co-author Nancy Yang and Crespi say higher-risk individuals are "often negatively impacted" by higher social media use.
"The profound difference between online and in-person social interactions — where people are more likely to have their delusions kept in check by physical and emotional reality — exacerbate deviations from mental well-being," Crespi added.
The study says more research is needed on social media features that encourage delusions and look for ways to make social media use more grounded and life-like.
