Comment by EA-3167

We have plenty of cases of people dying as a result of their social media use or someone else's, both in a somewhat direct sense (sextortion, other crimes that put the victim under immense pressure), or indirect sense (Mobs being whipped up online that riot and kill people, something not at all uncommon in parts of Africa and SEA).

You're also ignoring the enormous role that social media played in the rise of ISIS, and their ongoing recruitment and terror efforts. The "mommy bloggers" who share terrible, unmoderated advice ranging from somewhat harmful to downright lethal.

How many kids killed themselves as a result of bullying that followed them every waking moment through the net, almost always via social media?

You don't need a time machine to see the harm, if what you need to see is actually a body count. For the rest of us the psychological and behavioral impact is negative enough without needing to taking 'pure poison' overly literally.