Florida residents’ anxiety is linked to social media use and varies with age, new study shows

By: Stephen Neely, University of South Florida and Kaila Witkowski, Florida Atlantic University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: November 19, 2025

Words: 1,424

Last Updated: 5 days, 18 hours ago

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By Stephen Neely, University of South Florida and Kaila Witkowski, Florida Atlantic University

Over 40 million American adults – approximately 19% – live with an anxiety disorder, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Studies show this anxiety is most prevalent in young people. In recent years, social psychologists such as Jonathan Haidt have started to draw connections between tech use and anxiety. They argue that the ubiquity of smartphones and social …

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