A 2020 longitudinal study tracked nearly two thousand teenagers' use of social media and their reported well-being over four years. The researchers found that, on average, hours spent on social media correlated weakly with mood — but the relationship varied sharply by individual. Some teens flourished online; others struggled. The authors caution that population-level statistics can mask very different individual experiences.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
- A
Social media uniformly benefits teens.
- B
Most teens spend too much time online.
- Ccheck_circle
Average correlations between social media use and mood obscure substantial individual variation.
- D
Social media uniformly harms teens.
Explanation
The passage emphasizes that averages mask individual variation — B. A and C oversimplify; D is unsupported.