Research
Research
The Dark Side of Social Media: Recommender Algorithm and Mental Health
Winner of CESifo Distinguished Affiliate Award
Abstract: This paper investigates the impact of social media algorithms on mental health outcomes. I exploit a quasi-experimental setting combining data from the Dutch Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences (LISS) coupled with the introduction of the algorithmic feed on Instagram in 2016. I estimate a differences-in-differences model comparing individuals having an Instagram account with individuals who have an account on social media platforms other than Instagram. Using a longitudinal dataset, allows for comparison of the same individuals before and after the introduction of the algorithm. The results show that the introduction of the algorithm on Instagram had a negative impact on teenagers mental health. Furthermore, I show that this effect cannot be attributed to a decrease in stigma surrounding mental health issues or an increased likelihood of individuals reporting such conditions. Additionally, evidence on mechanisms suggests that the results are due to the algorithm on Instagram favoring negative social comparisons.
Negative Fiscal Shocks and Hate Crimes in Italy
Abstract: This paper examines the impact of negative fiscal shocks on hate crimes targeting ethnic and religious minorities, women, and LGBTQIA+ individuals in Italy. Leveraging a population cutoff created by the 2013 extension of the Domestic Stability Pact, which imposed fiscal constraints on municipalities with populations between 1,000 and 4,999 inhabitants, the study identifies a causal relationship between fiscal shocks and increased hate crimes. The findings reveal that negative fiscal shocks led to reduced local spending and diminished social cohesion, consistently with the realistic group conflict theory being the mechanism explaining the results. Additionally, the paper explores heterogeneous effects to understand how cultural beliefs influence the framing and reactions to conflicts.
Unfair Policies and Mental Health: Evidence from an Italian Pension Reform with Raffaele Fiorentino (Tor Vergata University of Rome)
Qualità istituzionale e produttività delle imprese with Quintieri, B., F. Salustri and G. Stamato - Economia italiana, 2, 5-14.
Abstract: This article introduces a new composite indicator for institutional quality in Italy at the province level and investigates how this impact on firms performances. Our analysis shows that the high heterogeneity in institutional quality among Italian provinces has a strong, statistically significant effect on firms productivity, as measured by both per capita added value and total factor productivity. Among the different domains of the proposed indicator, human capital and social capital explains most of the differences found among productivity levels, while illegality does not seem to play any role. When we split our sample of firms based on their dimension, we find that institutional quality has a stronger impact on small firms productivity compared to medium and large firms.