College students who limited their social media use to 30 minutes a day scored significantly lower for anxiety, depression, loneliness, and fear of missing out compared to a control group, researchers report.
Last month, the American Psychological Association and the US Surgeon General both issued health advisories. Their concerns and recommendations for teens, parents, and policymakers addressed a mounting body of research that shows two trends are intertwined: Young people are using social media more, and their mental health is suffering.
In the new study, the students, who received automated daily reminders about social media use, also scored higher for “positive affect,” which the researchers describe as “the tendency to experience positive emotions described with words such as ‘excited’ and ‘proud.'” Essentially, they had a brighter outlook on life.
“It surprised me to find that participants’ well-being did not only improve in one dimension but in all of them,” says Ella Faulhaber, a PhD student in human-computer interaction at Iowa State University and lead author of the paper in the journal Technology, Mind, and Behavior.
“I was excited to learn that such a simple intervention of sending a daily reminder can motivate people to change their behavior and improve their social media habits,” she says.
The researchers found the psychological benefits from cutting back on social media extended to participants who sometimes exceeded the 30-minute time limit.
“The lesson here is, it’s not about being perfect but putting in effort, which makes a difference. I think self-limiting and paying attention are the secret ingredients, more so than the 30-minute benchmark,” Faulhaber says.
The findings fit with other research that’s grown out of kinesiology and health fields, says coauthor Douglas A. Gentile, professor of psychology.
“Knowing how much time we spend on activities each day and making something countable makes it easier for people to change their behaviors,” he says, giving Fitbits and daily steps as an example.
Many of the study participants commented that the first few days of cutting back were challenging. But after the initial push, one student felt more productive and in tune with life. Others shared that they were getting better sleep or spending more time with people in person.
Gentile and Faulhaber point out other studies have investigated the effects of limiting or abstaining from social media. But many of the interventions require heavy supervision and deleting apps or using a special application to block or limit social media. Like rehab for someone who’s addicted to drugs, external accountability can help some users. But it also carries a higher risk of backfiring.
“When a perceived freedom is taken away, we start resisting,” says Gentile. He adds that eliminating social media also means losing some of the benefits it can bring, like connecting with friends and family.
The study extends the current research on social media and provides a practical way for people to limit their use. For anyone looking to cut back, Faulhaber recommends:
- Create awareness. Set a timer or use a built-in wellness app to see how much time you spend on social media.
- Give yourself grace. Recognize that it’s not easy to stick to a time limit. Social media apps are designed to keep you engaged.
- Don’t give up. Limiting social media use over time has real benefits for your daily life.
The researchers say it’s also important to be mindful of how and when we use these platforms. Future research could further explore this, along with the long-term effects from limiting social media and what people do with the time they gain.
“We live in an age of anxiety. Lots of indicators show that anxiety, depression, loneliness are all getting worse, and that can make us feel helpless. But there are things we can do to manage our mental health and well-being,” says Gentile.
Paying more attention to how much time we spend on social media and setting measurable goals can help.
Source: Iowa State University
