A recent survey conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago for the American Enterprise Institute's (AEI) Survey Center on American Life found that the majority of teenagers use social media in moderation. According to researcher Daniel Cox, a senior fellow at AEI, 60 percent of girls aged 13 to 17 reported spending two or fewer hours per day on social media, and 39 percent said they used it for less than one hour or not at all.

Among all teens surveyed, 10 percent said they spend no time on social media, while 29 percent reported less than one hour of daily use. The largest group, 34 percent, indicated using social media for one to three hours per day.

Cox noted that only heavy social media use—defined as spending at least four hours daily on these platforms—appeared to have a significant impact, and this was primarily observed among girls. He also emphasized that not all teens react the same way to social media, and not all usage is problematic. Contrary to some claims, the research "does not show that heavy social media users are any less sociable," and teenagers with few close friends do not report higher or lower social media use compared to those with many friends.

The survey also revealed serious class differences in social media use, which may explain disparities in habits, happiness levels, and outlook between heavy and light users.

Separately, Betsy Southerland, a former EPA Office of Water scientist, criticized a study for not using analytical chemistry techniques capable of specifically identifying mifepristone in water samples, highlighting concerns about the study's methodology.

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