Internal Study Showed Users Taking Breaks Reported Reduced
Depression, Anxiety, and Loneliness
Meta discontinued an internal research project, known as “Project Mercury,” after findings showed that deactivating Facebook and Instagram for a week led to reduced feelings of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and social comparison among users. This information emerged from unredacted court filings linked to a class action lawsuit by U.S. school districts.
Started in 2020, Project Mercury involved collaboration between Meta scientists and Nielsen survey firm to examine the mental health effects of social media consumption, focusing on polarization, well-being, and social interactions.
Contrary to Meta’s expectations, participants who stopped using the platforms for one week reported significant improvements in mental health metrics.
Instead of publishing or further pursuing the findings, Meta internally halted the research, attributing the negative results to what they called an “existing media narrative” bias surrounding the company.
Documents revealed internal dissent, with some employees supporting the study’s legitimacy and comparing Meta’s silence to the tobacco industry’s historical cover-ups of smoking harms.
Meta faced criticism for prioritizing growth and user engagement over public health concerns, as plaintiffs in the lawsuit allege conscious neglect of risks posed to minors and young adults.
The lawsuit also accuses Meta of failing to take appropriate remedial actions despite knowing the potential harm and calls for transparency regarding the company’s knowledge and conduct.
Public health advocates emphasize the importance of such research to understand social media’s impact on mental health and call on companies to be accountable.
