Research
Statistics tell us that Lucas is one of over five billion social media users worldwide. Studies document dangers: what happens when habits are unregulated, when they’re driven by profit, controlled by a privileged few.
2021: American health specialists declare “a national emergency” in adolescent mental health.
2022: A multi-year Cambridge study confirms that social media spurs lower ratings of “life satisfaction” among adolescents and teens—a loneliness that connects directly to suicidal ideation.
2023-2024: Surgeon General & American Psychological Association warnings: research shows that young people’s mental health suffers in direct relation to increased use of social media.
2023-2024: States sue Meta and TikTok over mental health risks: internal documents confirm that these apps are designed to addict teens.
Today’s teens spend more time with Big Tech than with schools, parents and peers. Even worse, according to the Surgeon General AND the American Psychological Association, a mounting body of research shows that young people’s mental health suffers in direct relation to increased use of social media. And this is no accident: Big Tech is intentional. Platforms target young people with addictive content; personalized algorithms keep them online; business models encourage polarization. When young female users join TikTok, content about eating disorders and self-harm appears. When studies confirm that features like “infinite scroll” are clinically harmful—especially for those aged ten-to-fifteen—Big Tech fights back.
The characters in #Likes4Lucas reflect this distress: twisted by self-absorption; consumed by anxiety; desperate for validation. Some call this addiction, some call it depression. Experts call it PIMU (problematic interactive media use), or SMAD (social media anxiety disorder). The full effects will be parsed for years to come. But this series isn’t just a critique of social media, identity crises or deepfake AI. It’s about our need for human contact, happiness, fulfillment—and how confrontation with truth can help us balance technological breakthroughs with emotional growth.
Scientific studies are part of this truth. CDC reports, Surgeon General advisories and class-action lawsuits also help raise awareness. Long-term goals include “duty of care”—laws requiring tech companies to prohibit addictive feeds; school rules restricting media usage; family agreements that limit hours. For now, the most effective solution is self-regulation. Change that comes from within.
Along with the data-driven studies cited above, #Likes4Lucas relies on research by individuals.
~Adolescent depression and mental health experts: Jonathan Haidt (The Anxious Generation); Andrew Solomon (Noonday Demon); Kate Fagan (What Made Maddy Run).
~Technology experts: Jaron Lanier (Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now); Taylor Lorenz (Extremely Online).
~Media experts featured in relevant documentaries: Sophie Compton’s Another Body; Jeff Orlowski’s The Social Dilemma; Arthur Jones’s Feels Good Man; Jane Wagner’s Break The Game.
I also do my own research. I’ve met with psychologist/therapist Jack Saul, Ph.D., whose explorations of pain and resilience can be applied to teenage online trauma and healing. As a journalist, I’ve interviewed 18-to-21-year-old YouTube stars, each with millions of followers, plus seasoned YouTubers Bo Burnham, Marc Rebillet, Kyle Mooney—all known for the online bravado that informs #Likes4Lucas.
My goal: to frame research in a digestible narrative that will reach the audience who needs it most. To ensure this is done in accordance with medical science, I’ve enlisted a key collaborator: #Likes4Lucas Mental Health Advisor Ariel Stern. A certified Gottman therapist/ESFT specialist and clinical advisor for award-winning episodic TV—beginning with HBO’s Mare of Easttown (16 Emmy noms, three wins)—Stern’s goal is to help at-risk teens break negative patterns and rebuild self-respect.
This is why she joined #Likes4Lucas:
“In order to save lives, we need to share more individual stories—stories that people can relate to, identify with. Statistically, it’s a fact: peers are the best allies for tangible change. And if young people learn to recognize signs, to ask friends for help, it reduces the risk. The goal is to make it OK to ask.”
As a storyteller, I can do that.