Temporary quitting social media improves mental health

A group of scientists from the University of Bath studied the impact on mental health of a week-long break from social networks, Medical Xpress reported.

The study, published in the American Journal of Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, suggests that just one week without social networks improves overall well-being and reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety.

For the study, researchers randomly assigned 154 people between the ages of 18 and 72 who used social media daily to one group, where they were asked to stop using all social media for one week, and to another group where they could continue to browse social media pages as usual. At the beginning of the study, baseline measures of anxiety, depression, and well-being were obtained.

Participants reported spending an average of 8 hours per week on social media at the beginning of the study. After one week, participants who were asked to take a one-week break showed a significant improvement in well-being, relief from depression and anxiety compared to those who continued to use social media.

Participants who were asked to take a one-week break reported using social media for an average of 21 minutes compared to seven hours in the control group. Screen usage statistics were provided to verify that participants were complying with the break.

 "Of course, social media is a part of life, and for many people it's integral to who they are and how they interact with other people. But if you spend a few hours a week scrolling and feel like it's negatively affecting you, it might be worth cutting back on their use and seeing if that helps," said lead researcher Dr. Jeff Lambert of the Bath Health Department.

Researchers want to continue their study to see if taking a short break can help different populations (such as younger people or people with physical and mental illnesses).

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