This paper will present 10 myths about the harms of social media. Each myth is directly quoted or paraphrased from public discourse, including op-eds, podcasts, claims of politicians, and news headlines. In response to each myth, a warranted claim supported by peer-reviewed research will be offered. Meta-analyses, studies with large or representative samples, and studies using longitudinal methods will be prioritized as sources for supporting and justifying each warranted claim.

This viewpoint reviews the empirical evidence regarding the association between social media use and well-being, including life satisfaction and affective well-being, and the association between social media use and ill-being, including loneliness, anxiety, and depressive symptomology. To frame this discussion, this viewpoint will present 10 widely believed myths about social media, each drawn from popular discourse on the topic. In rebuttal, this viewpoint will offer a warranted claim supported by the research. The goal is to bring popular beliefs into dialogue with state-of-the-art quantitative social scientific evidence. It is the intention of this viewpoint to provide a more accurate and nuanced claim to challenge each myth. This viewpoint will bring attention to the importance of using rigorous scientific evidence to inform public debates about social media use and well-being, especially among adolescents and young adults.