A Week-Long Social Media Detox Can Reduce Depression by Almost 25%, New Study Suggests
A recent groundbreaking study, published in JAMA Network Open, has revealed that taking a short break from social media platforms can significantly improve mental health in young adults. The research was conducted by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where they tracked 295 participants aged between 18 and 24. These participants reduced their social media usage from an average of 1.9 hours daily to just 0.5 hours during a week-long detox.
The results were indeed remarkable:
- Participants experienced a 24.8% reduction in depression symptoms
- There was a 16.1% decrease in anxiety
- A 14.5% improvement was observed in insomnia symptoms
Dr. Thea Gallagher from NYU Grossman School of Medicine noted that social media often fuels a constant need for comparison, which in turn increases anxiety and depression. Interestingly, the overall screen time of the participants didn’t decrease significantly. This suggests that it’s specifically the patterns of social media engagement—not the total device usage—that impact mental health.
The study provides compelling evidence for the mental health benefits of brief digital detox interventions. This could be a game-changer in how we approach and manage mental health in the digital age.
Source: Medical Xpress