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Researchers at Stanford University conducted a unique study in one of their biggest experiments. He involved more than 35,000 people. These people were given money to not use Facebook or Instagram for six weeks. The results were very clear and surprising. People who stopped social media for some time found themselves to have a significant reduction in depression and stress. Additionally, their overall happiness also increased. Although this improvement was not very big but it was effective.

This clearly shows that even a short break from social media can have a positive impact on our daily life and state of mind. This study was done as a large randomized controlled trial. In this, some people were asked to deactivate their Facebook or Instagram accounts only for one week and some for the whole six weeks. This gave researchers an opportunity to easily understand how different periods of staying away from social media affect our emotional health.

Which people benefited?

The most interesting thing was not whether people started feeling better, but which people benefited the most. Among those who left Facebook, people above 35 years of age benefited the most. Among those who left Instagram, girls under 25 years of age showed the most improvement. This is the group that is often worried that social media is having the most adverse impact on their mental health.

Index to measure depression

Researchers used a standard index to measure happiness, anxiety and depression. On average, it was observed that people who left Facebook improved slightly more than those who left Instagram. But people in both groups were feeling better than those who continued using social media. Now the most special and thought-provoking thing was that people did not suddenly leave social media completely nor did they develop any new good habits. Many people simply started spending time on other apps and platforms instead of Facebook or Instagram, yet they still felt better emotionally.

What is the real issue?

A very important thing came to light from this that the problem is not just about the time spent on the screen. The real issue is what you are watching online and with whom you are interacting. However, it is important to keep some things in mind. This study was done just before the 2020 US presidential elections. At that time there was a lot of political debates and tension on social media. Also, the people who participated in this study came voluntarily and were also paid. Therefore, these results may not fully reflect everyone’s experience.