People who stop using social media for even a week show a significant improvement in their mood and mental health, e.g. in their anxiety and depression, according to a new British scientific study.
Researchers at Bath University, led by Dr. Jeff Lambert of the Department of Health, published their findings in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. studied 154 people aged 18 to 72 who were daily users of social media.
Participants were randomly divided into two groups: One continued to use social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok) on a daily basis, while the other stopped for a week (thus “releasing” an average of eight to nine hours week). Individuals’ mental health was assessed both at the beginning and at the end of the study.
One week of “abstinence” from social media was found to be enough to improve the general sense of mental well-being and to reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression in particular.
Lambert pointed out that “The use of social media is so widespread that many of us do it without thinking, from the moment we wake up until we close our eyes at night. We know that, Due to this huge use of social media, growing concerns about the effects on mental health have been expressed.. Our study showed that many participants reported benefits from weekly social media cessation, showing improved mood and less stress in general, which means that even a short break can have a positive effect.».
«Of courseHe added,for many people the social media they are a part of their lives and an integral part of who they are and how they interact with others. But if you spend hours each week on them and feel negatively affected, it really makes sense to stop using them to see if it will help.».
Researchers will then study whether the mental benefit lasts in the long run., if the “abstinence” from social media lasts more than a week. If this is confirmed, as mentioned, then it should be considered by mental health professionals as another clinical-therapeutic option.
Link to the scientific publication: www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/cyber.2021.0324
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