At the end of one week, researchers studying abstaining from social media found significant between-group differences in well-being, depression and anxiety. The intervention group fared much better on all three metrics. These results held even after control for baseline scores, as well as age and gender, shares Cal Newport.
. . . the simple study design and the clear effects it revealed, the message here seems to be clear: social media hurts mental health.” – Cal Newport
Source: Study Hacks Blog, Cal Newport, May 16, 2022. Link. The researchers further found that they could obtain smaller, but still significant improvements in depression and anxiety by having users simply reduce the time they spend on Twitter and TikTok. The biggest effects, however, came from full abstention.
INSIGHTS: Newport’s closing comment is worth serious consideration.
Why do we insist on still shrugging our shoulders and continuing to treat the use of these tools like some sort of unavoidable civic and professional necessity?”