Anxiety, depression: Less social media use can improve symptoms – Medical News Today

Share on Pinterest Research shows that a reduction in social media use can improve mental health. Image Credit: Olga Pankova/Getty Images Cutting back on social media for a week resulted in less anxiety, depression, and insomnia for participants in a new study. Extensive social media engagement is viewed as potentially damaging to mental health, although its use is widespread and growing. Experts say that scrolling through social media feeds risks replacing real-world experiences, which are more likely to be protective of mental well-being. For young adults, cutting back on social media for a week resulted in a significant reduction in anxiety, depression, and insomnia in a new study published in JAMA Network Open . Participants in the study reported 16% fewer anxiety symptoms, 24.8% fewer symptoms of depression, and 14.5% less insomnia. The study involved 373 individuals ages 18 to 24, each of whom was paid $150 to participate. Of the cohort, 277 were female, 73 were male, 12 were non-binary, 9 were transgender, and 2 were listed as ‘Other’. Five platforms were of special interest to the study authors: Facebook Instagram Snapchat TikTok X Participants were allowed to reduce their screen time as they saw fit. They reduced their
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