L. Jay Mitchell is the founder of Greenbrier Academy in Pence Springs, West Virginia. L. Jay Mitchell’s boarding school offers a therapeutic program to help the students address negative beliefs and behavioral problems, which can be caused by excessive social media use.

Some research suggests a link between social media and anxiety for young people, with legislation concerning the impact of social media on children to be introduced in early March of 2022. Testimony against Meta, formerly Facebook, revealed that social media giants put profit before the wellbeing of their users.

The proliferation of social media has coincided with a record rise in anxiety in young people. Some researchers say this indicates a significant change in how young people form their identities and self-esteem. According to research from Silicon Valley, things like clicks and likes - which are designed to be addictive - become a guiding force in shaping young people’s identities, leaving them with heightened anxiety. Being judged by a nebulous social group that shows its approval or disapproval through likes and comments makes social capital contingent on arbitrary numbers.