Individuals who heavily use social media tend to score more poorly

Question

Individuals who heavily use social media tend to score more poorly on tests administered by psychologists to measure happiness than those who do not. It has been found that experiencing "status envy," a state afflicting those who see themselves as being worse off than others—especially common among those who make use of social media—depletes the brain of chemicals responsible for feelings of joy and contentment. Obviously, there is a causal relationship: Extensive use of social media must be making people unhappy. 
Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the force of the evidence given as support for the hypothesis that social media promotes unhappiness? 
A. Individuals who spend significant amounts of time engaging with social media are no more likely to describe themselves as unhappy than others. 
B.Although feeling unhappy is unpleasant, the levels of unhappiness present in heavy users of social media do occasionally result from the brain's natural processes. 
C. There are many individuals who engage with social media without doing so heavily. 
D. Individuals often become heavy users of social media as a response to feelings of "status anxiety" and unhappiness. 
E. "Status anxiety" is responsible for feelings of unhappiness among many people involved in competitive professions.

source - ready4gmat

Princ · Answer

Can you inform your logic of reasoning

Saurabhminocha · Answer

D in my opinion.

Social media doesn't necessarily make people unhappy; unhappy people end up using social media for longer times. This weakens the causal relationship mentioned in the argument. Passage states X causes Y. Option D weakens that by saying Y happens first which in turn causes X. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

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Princ · Answer

I agree with your reasoning. Waiting for official answer
 GMATNinja  can you help with question

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Heisenberg12 · Answer

Option D.

The conclusion defines a causal relationship: "Extensive use of social media makes people unhappy."

In order to undermine the given conclusion, we need to find an alternate cause i.e. in this case, alter the cause and effect. 
Option D does that.

nithinjohn · Answer

Has to be Option D. The conclusion states a causal relationship - People who are heavy users of social media become unhappy. If people who are already unhappy end up using social media heavily as a response to the unhappiness, then it would undermine the conclusion given.

chinmoi · Answer

Option B. Option D talks about the hypothesis. We need to undermine the evidence i.e. the tests conducted that determine chemical levels in the brain.

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US09 · Answer

IMO D.

Stated causality: Social media=status envy=unhappiness.

But if this causality is reversed then the argument is weakened. Hence D.

hrusher · Answer

Reversal of causal relationship

social media ------> unhappiness (As per argument)

to weaken the argument
unhappiness -------> social media

wadhwakaran · Answer

The question clearly says people become sad because of over activeness on social media. As this over activeness leads to depletion of chemicals responsible for feelings of joy and contentment.

Now our goal is to weaken the conclusion

The reasoning is the question shows a causal relationship. The best way to weaken this reasoning is reverse causal relationship. 
Prove that sadness results in people over using social media.
Option D clearly does that.

Individuals who heavily use social media tend to score more poorly

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Individuals who heavily use social media tend to score more poorly

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