Instagram users are scrolling out of habit not addiction, study finds

"From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging."

"At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference."

"Constantly find yourself doomscrolling on social media? You may just be doing so out of habit, not addiction. That's according to research conducted on 1,204 US adults, which found excessive social media use was not linked to symptoms associated with addiction like cravings, withdrawal symptoms, and continuing use despite negative consequences. But psychologists highlighted that social media does correlate with negative consequences such as poor body image, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem."

The Independent sends reporters to cover reproductive rights, climate change and Big Tech, investigating topics like Elon Musk's pro‑Trump PAC and producing documentaries such as 'The A Word' about American women fighting for reproductive rights. The outlet avoids paywalls to make journalism available to all and solicits donations to fund on‑the‑ground reporting. Research on 1,204 US adults found excessive social media use was not linked to addiction symptoms such as cravings, withdrawal or continued use despite harm. Psychologists warned social media correlates with poor body image, anxiety, depression and low self‑esteem. Chartered psychologist Dr Audrey Tang said addiction requires impairment of daily functioning.

Read at www.independent.co.uk