Nir Eyal ‘s point is that the data simply do not support the notion that social media consumption causes depression and suicidal ideation among teens. Nir points out a positive correlation between getting more sleep and more in person human contact (family time) and a decrease in depression. What he fails to remind us is that correlation is not causation.

When I was young it was television and rock ‘n roll that were rotting our brains. Now that I think about it maybe there was something to that, in general at least. Boomers — white boomers anyway — form the bedrock of support for Donald Trump, and you can’t get much more brain-rotted than that. But then again post hoc proper ergo hoc is a fallacy so common that it has a name.