Study Finds Mental Health Benefit to One-Week Social Media Break

Dialing down the use of social media for a week reduced symptoms of anxiety, depression and insomnia in young adults, according to a study published on Monday in the journal JAMA Network Open.

…

One group of psychologists, including the social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, have identified the smartphone as the cause of deteriorating mental health among young people, and many communities have already taken steps to limit social media use or screen time, especially during school hours.

…

Candice L. Odgers, a professor of psychological science in informatics at the University of California, who was not involved in the study, said it was hardly surprising that “if we constantly tell people social media is bad for them and that taking a break is good, and then ask them to take a break and report how they feel after, this is what we see.”

…

Academics who have called for strict limits on social media use greeted the new study as evidence that swift action is necessary. Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University, who was not involved in the new study, described it as “the latest to show that cutting back on social media use can have mental health benefits.”

Read the whole story (subscription may be required): The New York Times