Kids who get discouraged by idealized athletic bodies on social media may end up dropping out of sports, a small study suggests.
In a preliminary study of 70 kids who played -- or used to play -- sports, researchers found that some had quit because they thought they didn...
For a needed mood boost, skip social media and strike up an in-person conversation with someone instead.
Face-to-face socializing boosts mood more than screen time, a new study finds.
People often expect that will be the case, but they don't always follow tha...
When U.S. parents express their concerns about their school-aged children, social media use and the internet are at the top of the list.
Mental health issues are another top worry, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National
Video games and social media are keeping school kids up at night, according to a new survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).
But so, too, are more constructive pursuits, including homework and extracurricular activities, which can be a problem when it ...
When parents meet U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, one concern comes up time after time.
"The most common question parents ask me is: 'Is social media safe for my kids,' "
Many retirees opt to volunteer as a way to help others, but new research suggests this act can also benefit volunteers' brain health.
Volunteering later in life may provide protection for the brain from both cognitive (mental) decline and dementia, according to researche...
Cutting back social media to a spare 30 minutes per day could be the key to reducing anxiety, depression, loneliness and feelings of fear of missing out, researchers say.
That was true for college students in a new study who self-limited social media -- often successfull...
Physicians and scientists are experiencing alarming levels of harassment on social media, according to a new survey.
About two-thirds of respondents said they had been harassed on social media since the COVID-19 pandemic began -- up from 23.3% of physicians surveyed in 2...
The herbal supplement berberine has become the latest social-media obsession for weight-loss, with some on TikTok calling it "nature's Ozempic."
Experts don't agree.
"I would say it's a big exaggeration to call it 'nature's Ozempic,'"said
The benefits of friendships and activity aren't just for the young.
Staying socially active can also help older adults age their best, according to new research that pinpoints volunteering and recreational activities as important for seniors.
"Although the study'...
Teens need their sleep, and a new study sheds light on one way to help them get it: Keep cellphones and screens out of the bedroom.
"Getting enough sleep is crucial for teenagers because it helps their body and mind grow and develop properly,"said lead author
Social media presents a "profound risk"to young brains, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy warned on Tuesday.
About 7 in 10 American parents are concerned that social media trends related to appearance and editing apps and filters are harming their children's body image, a new survey shows.
Among those polled, about 69% of parents expressed worry about these editing apps and fil...
TikTok content overwhelmingly promotes vaping, putting young users at potential risk of e-cigarette use, according to researchers in Australia.
The popular social media platform's own policies on promoting e-cigarette use are often violated, their new study shows.
...
It's easy for kids to get drawn into Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok, and a leading U.S. psychologists' group warns they need some training in social media literacy beforehand.
The American Psychological Association on Tuesday issued 10 science-based recommendations for t...
About 4.5 million adults in the United States have liver disease. If they're looking for information about their condition, they'd be wise to look beyond TikTok, new research suggests.
About 40% of posts about liver disease on the social media platform are false or misle...
It's not new for young people to develop an interest in their favorite pop singer or actor, but it can be problematic if that adoration turns toxic.
It's easier than ever to get lost in a celebrity's carefully curated image via social media posts, according to Baylor Co...
Children's screen use could be altering their developing brains as they enter adolescence and increasing their risk for mood disorders, a major new study finds.
Children ages 9 and 10 who spend more time on smartphones, tablets, video games and TV exhibited higher levels...
Curated images of perfect bodies -- often highly filtered and unrealistic -- are common on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
Don't rely on TikTok for accurate health information about mpox, the virus once known as monkeypox, a new study says.
An international group of researchers who watched and analyzed videos about mpox on the social media site found them to be often inaccurate, incomplete a...
Alarmed by the increasing spread of medical misinformation, 50 U.S. medical and science organizations have announced the formation of a new group that aims to debunk fake health news.
Called the Coalition for Trust in Health & Science, the group brings together reputable...
All those images of beautiful-looking people on social media can deflate a young person's self-image, but there may be an easy fix: limiting time spent on TikTok, Instagram and the like.
A new Canadian study finds that teens and young adults who already had symptoms of a...
While you can't trust everything you read or see on social media, some information is reliable.
Researchers from Duke University studied popular videos on the social media site TikTok. The videos offered information on ways to obtain a medication abortion.
These we...
Laws bar advertising cannabis to teens, but that doesn't mean they always work.
In a new survey, researchers found that teens stil...
Social isolation is a substantial risk factor for dementia in older adults, according to a pair of studies that add evidence to past research on this threat.
But these new studies offer a potential solution: using technology to encourage older adults to text and email to...
Social media's impact on young people is a hot topic, with most kids and teens wanting to do whatever their friends are doing and parents worrying about setting limits.
A new study examines whether frequent checking of social media sites (Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat...
A new trend promoted on the social media platform TikTok has people taping their lips shut at bedtime -- a practice that could be dangerous, an expert warns.
The purpose of mouth taping is to keep from breathing through your mouth at night.
"If you have obstructive...
Need information about hay fever? Steer clear of YouTube, a new study advises.
Researchers found misinformation about allergic rhinitis, the medical name for the disord...
By combining technology with interactive art activities, older people at home can have museums come to them -- and this can support their physical, mental and social well-being, a new study reports.
"This participatory art-based activity could become a model that could ...
In a world where everyone spends more and more time with eyes fixed on their phones, new research suggests young people feel happier after socializing with friends in person rather than virtually.
The conclusion is an outgrowth of nearly four years spent analyzing how so...
A "social contagion" theory that suggests teens, and girls in particular, are being influenced by their peers to become transgender is baseless, a new
Whether it's fact or brag, tweets suggest people ate healthier during COVID lockdowns and restaurant closures, a new study finds.
Tweets about healthy foods rose 20% between May 2020 and January 2021, while those about fast food and alcohol dropped 9% and 11%, respectiv...
The potent influence of social media may include tobacco use.
By analyzing 29 previously published studies, researchers found that people who viewed social media that contained tobacco content were more ...
Facebook and Instagram have started taking down posts that offer abortion pills to women who may not be able to get them after the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade.
These po...
Adolescents who experience cyberbullying are more likely to think about suicide, a new study shows.
Researchers found a link between being bullied online, through texts or on social media...
A new study warns that the social media giant TikTok is filled with confusing and wrong information about the heart-healthy, plant-based approach to eating dubbed the Mediterranean diet.
For the study, researchers analyzed 200 videos posted to the platform last August. T...
It's no secret that too much social media can be bad for one's mental health. Now, research suggests that taking even a brief break from TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter can ease symptoms of dep...
In the fall of 2021, TikTok announced a major milestone to coincide with its fifth anniversary: The amassing of roughly 1 billion global users, many of them young, turning to the app every month as a way to view, make and share bite-sized videos.
But what exactly do tho...
Disability activist Gem Hubbard regularly shares her insights about life in a wheelchair with more than 75,000 Instagram followers, under the handle @wheelsnoheels_, and her YouTube videos boast more than 3.7 million hits.
Hubbard, who hails from the U.K., is "increasing...
Your child's risk of harm from social media is higher at certain ages and it's different for girls and boys, researchers report.
To figure out how social media use affected "life satisfaction" among 10- to 21-year-olds, the investigators analyzed long-term data on 17,400...
An investigation into health misinformation on COVID-19 has been launched by U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy.
"Misinformation has had a profound impact on COVID-19 and our response," Murthy told CNN. "Studies have demonstrated that the vast majority of the...
For reasons that remain murky, new research warns that a spike in social media use during the pandemic might have worsened tic disorders in children.
Tics are sudden twitches, movements or s...
It's a fate many older women fear: loneliness and isolation as they age. Now, new research suggests those feelings may also predispose them to heart disease.
The findings may be especially relevant now because of social distancing required by the pandemic.
"We are ...
You have almost certainly seen the pleas while scrolling through social media: Called crowdfunding, folks try to raise money to pay for their sick loved one's mounting medical bills.
But new research sh...
MONDAY, Jan. 24, 2022 (HealthDay Now) -- Alaina Stanisci has grappled with an eating disorder since she was 10, and the disruptions of the pandemic only made things worse for the high school senior.
"I actually experienced a relapse at the beginning of the pandemic becau...
Some recreational pot shops are using tricks from the old playbooks of alcohol and tobacco companies to target underage users on social media, a new study reports.
Despite state laws restricting such marketing, researchers found marijuana retailers on social media promot...
Images of people eating and drinking are a staple of social media, but new research finds such posts from celebrities often puts the spotlight squarely on junk food.
Profit isn't always the reason why, investigators found: Celebrities often highlight unhealthy food favor...
Is your teen staring at their smartphone all day? There's many things parents can do to protect kids from the potentially negative effects of social media, experts say.
The pandemic has made Zoom meetings a daily reality for millions. For many, having to watch their own face in a meeting is the worst part.
But that's not true for everyone, new research shows.
"Most people believe that seeing yourself during virtual meetings contr...
Parents, think you have a good handle on how much time your teens are spending on social media?
Don't bet on it. New research suggests your best guesstimate is likely way off.
Parents significantly underestimated their teens' social media use -- especially girls' -...