19 hours ago
A recent study from Swansea University links less use of social media to better mental health and well-being. (Getty Images)
Are you feeling stressed or just not feeling well? Maybe you should put down your cell phone.
According to a new study from Swansea University, cutting social media use to just 15 minutes a day can not only improve general health and immune function, but also symptoms of depression and loneliness.
“These data show that when people reduce their use of social media, their lives can be improved in many ways, including the benefits to their physical health and psychological well-being,” Professor Phil Reed said in a press release. , from the Swansea University School of Psychology, who led the study.
Over three months, Reed, Tegan Fowkes and Mariam Khela examined the effects on physical health and psychological functioning when people reduce their social media use by 15 minutes a day.
The 50 study participants, aged between 20 and 25, were randomly divided into three groups: One was asked not to change any of his habits (No Change); to another, to reduce the use to 15 minutes a day (Reduce); and to the third, that they reduce their use by 15 minutes a day and replace it with another activity during that time (Reduce + Activity). They also responded to a monthly questionnaire about their health and psychological functioning, along with weekly reports on how much they used social media.
Researchers found that members of the Reduce group reduced 40 minutes of social media scrolling per day. The No Change group added 10 minutes of phone use, while the group specifically asked to replace commuting with another activity added a whopping 25 minutes to their average usage.
“The Reduce group experienced significant improvements in general health, immune function, loneliness, and depression compared to the other groups,” the researchers wrote.
Added Reed: “The fact that the group that was asked to cut down on their use and do something different did not show these benefits suggests that campaigns to get people healthier could avoid telling people how to use that time. They can resent it. Instead, give them the data and let them figure out how to do the reduction, instead of telling them to do something more useful: it may not be effective.”