Study Shows Unplugging From Social Media For a Week Boosts Your Mood
If you need a pick-me-up, turn off your social media for a week. That’s the takeaway from a study by the University of Bath. Researchers found that detoxing from Instagram, TikTok et al — even for a week — “significantly” improved test subjects’ well-being, and reduced their depression. The researchers said most social media users spend as many as nine hours a week on their favorite platforms, and other studies have well-documented the side-effects this cause on people, particularly children. The study took 154 social media users between the ages of 18 and 72, and had them split into two groups: one using social media, and the other who tried to avoid using it for a week. Even though the non-users couldn’t resist checking in, for an average of three minutes a day, it still represented a major drop-off from their usual habit. Afterwards, both groups were tested as to their mental health, and those who curtailed their swiping and scrolling saw “dramatic” improvements in their well-being, regardless of their age.
