One-third of Americans believe social media has had a negative impact on society, and 42 percent say it’s damaged our political discourse, according to the new American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Healthy Minds Monthly poll. But there were more positive results related to their own experiences with social media. When asked how they felt when using social media, 80 percent reported feeling interested, 72 percent said they felt connected, and 72 percent felt happy. By comparison, 26 percent said they felt helpless and 22 percent felt jealous. When asked about social media’s impact on their relationship with family and friends, 49 percent, said it has had no impact, while 31 percent said it’s helped. Parents asked about the effect on their children’s self-esteem said by 46 percent that it didn’t affect it, while 23 percent said it helped and 20 percent said it had negatively affected their child’s mental health. APA President Dr. Vivian Pender said, “Twenty-five years into what almost feels like a giant psychological experiment, most Americans are interacting with social media daily, and many are concerned about its effects on mental health and society.” But APA CEO and medical director Dr. Saul Levin noted the poll results, quote, “seem to indicate that many Americans are finding an ability to use social media in a way that feels harmless if not helpful to their lives.”