Pre-pandemic studies conducted on heavy Facebook use consistently show that it increases rates of depression, anxiety and loneliness. That’s the last thing we need during a deadly disease outbreak, when we’re confined to our homes, grieving for lost normalcy and feeling anticipatory grief over future lost lives. — AFP Relaxnews
At first blush, this coronavirus pandemic would seem to be social media’s moment. Social distancing has us stuck in our homes, cut off from family and friends, trying to work, parent or – blessed be – both, and most of all trying to keep up with the avalanche of information coming out every day about Covid-19.
Indeed, Facebook use is surging – the company reports that in Italy time spent across its apps (including WhatsApp and Instagram) is up as much as 70% since the outbreak began there. Twitter has seen an increase in activity, too. I alone am probably worth a few percentage points of that uptick, given how often lately I’ve stared into the blue glow of my iPhone.
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