A week disconnected from social networks is enough to notice positive effects on mental health. This is the conclusion reached by a study of 154 people between the ages of 18 and 72 who used social networks every day and which will be published in the May issue of the monthly academic publication Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networks.
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The study, conducted by a team from the University of Bath in the UK, aimed to understand the effects of a week-long break from social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Participants spent an average of 8 hours a week on social networks, switching between different services. The researchers measured some indicators of mental well-being, such as depression and anxiety, and reassessed them a week after cutting off activity in these networks. Those who took the break had significant improvements in well-being, depression and anxiety compared to those who continued to use social media, suggesting a short-term benefit.
The disconnection was not complete in all cases but, on average, the members of the study group spent about 21 minutes online during the week compared to more than 7 hours reported by the control group. "Social media is so ubiquitous that many of us use it almost without thinking, from the moment we wake up until we close our eyes at night," explains Dr. Jeff Lambert, who led the research.
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The team of researchers, however, points out that it is also necessary to study the cause of this effect. "It is possible that the use of social networks is the cause of mental health problems but also that depressed people or people with high levels of anxiety resort more frequently to social networks," they explain.
The objective of the research team, now, is to expand the study to longer periods of isolation from social networks and try to better understand the effect in different age groups.
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