When platforms control access to the “product”, they also control the science around its impacts. Ultimately, these self-research funding models allow platforms to put profit before people – and divert attention away from the need for more transparency and independent oversight.

Spending time offline and using strategies to help manage screen time are being recognised as critical skills. Learning them may benefit wellbeing and productivity, and help to set boundaries around social media use.

New research data from Australia would appear to suggest that the self-reported mental health of young women started to decline as social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat became widely available.

With one in four people around the world reporting being lonely, it is no wonder so many are drawn to the promise of a friend programmed to be “always here to listen and talk, always on your side”.