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Week-Long Break From Social Media Provides Mental Health Boost
Asking people to take a week-long break from social media significantly improved well-being, depression, and anxiety, according to results from a randomized clinical trial published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.
“Many of our participants reported positive effects from being off social media, with improved mood and less anxiety overall,” said study lead author Jeffrey Lambert, PhD, of the University of Bath in England. “This suggests that even just a small break can have an impact.”
The study included 154 participants, ages 18 to 72 years, who used social media daily. Participants were randomly assigned 1:1 to an intervention group, which was asked to cease use of social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok) for 1 week, or a control group, which could continue using social media at will. Anxiety, depression, and well-being were assessed at baseline. After the week was up, participants completed a follow-up survey and provided a photo of their screen time stats.
At the study start, participants reported spending an average 8 hours a week on social media. A week later, those who took a week-long break showed significant improvements in well-being, and significant reductions in depression and anxiety, compared with those who continued their typical use.
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Positive effects on well-being were mediated, in part, by a reduction in weekly minutes on social media, according to the study. Participants asked to refrain from social media averaged 21 minutes on social media platforms the week of the study, compared with 7 hours for those in the control group.
Improvement in depression was partially mediated by a reduction in weekly minutes on Twitter and TikTok, while improvement in anxiety was partially mediated by reduced time on TikTok alone, the study showed.
“These differences align with the transdiagnostic cognitive behavioral conceptualization of social media,” researchers wrote. “Particularly, the notion that different platforms drive differential psychological outcomes based on differences in their features and affordances.”
The research team next plans to investigate the effects of a social media break in specific populations, such as younger people or people with certain conditions, as well as the effects of longer breaks.
“Of course, social media is a part of life and for many people, it’s an indispensable part of who they are and how they interact with others,” Dr Lambert said. “But if you are spending hours each week scrolling, and you feel it is negatively impacting you, it could be worth cutting down on your usage to see if it helps.”
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