Contents
- 1 Is quitting social media worth it?
- 2 How does social media affect mental health in a good way?
- 3 What will happen if I quit social media?
- 4 Does quitting social media make you happier?
- 5 Why social media is bad for your mental health?
- 6 What does social media do to your brain?
- 7 How social media affects mental health pros and cons?
- 8 Does taking a break from social media help with depression?
- 9 Can we live without social media?
- 10 Should I quit social media after a breakup?
- 11 Does deleting social media make you more productive?
- 12 Should I delete Facebook for my mental health?
Speaking of your well-being, getting off of social media is also good for your overall health. Research shows that limiting your exposure to social media reduces anxiety and depression.
Strong social connections of any kind can ease symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. They can boost self-esteem and self-worth, and of course, decrease feelings of loneliness.
You will feel less stressed “Quitting social media can let you enjoy the things you have and feel grateful for these instead of focusing on what you don’t have,” Martinez says, which social media (unintentionally) allows us to do. Cortisol production also tends to decrease, leaving you calmer and more focused.
Quitting social media will make you happier The study also found that people had at least 60 more minutes per day of free time on their hands after leaving Facebook. The American Psychological Association estimates that trying to multitask with Facebook may reduce a person’s productive time by as much as 40%.
When people look online and see they’re excluded from an activity, it can affect thoughts and feelings, and can affect them physically. A 2018 British study tied social media use to decreased, disrupted, and delayed sleep, which is associated with depression, memory loss, and poor academic performance.
Social media has the ability to both capture and scatter your attention. Not only does this lead to poorer cognitive performance, but it shrinks parts of the brain associated with maintaining attention.
Impacts of Social Media on Mental Health
- Pro – Increases communication and raising awareness.
- Con – Promotion of fake news.
- Pro – Can help combat feelings of loneliness and isolation.
- Con – Can also increase feelings of loneliness.
- Pro – Normalises help seeking behaviour.
- Con – Can promote anti-social behaviour.
According to one study, keeping social media use down to just 30 minutes a day can lead to increased mental health and well-being. Participants in the study reported decreased depression and loneliness when they reduced their time spent on social media, which seems ironic.
It’s possible to live without social media, even in a tech-focused world. Deleting your social media account is not an easy choice. Participation in Facebook and other platforms has been associated with having a better social life, more access to information and a better connection to the world in general.
“If someone is struggling through a breakup and fixated on their ex, staying actively engaged in the relationship through social media will make it harder to move forward and the recovery will take longer,” Dr. Cortney Warren, clinical psychologist and contributing EXpert for EXaholics.com, tells Bustle.
Mood and mental health. Deleting social media may not eliminate these effects immediately, but over time, you may find yourself in better mental health, with an increased mood and more positive social interactions. That boost in mood and morale can have massive benefits to your productivity.
Should I delete Facebook for my mental health?
A new study, which is being hailed as the most trustworthy scientific assessment of social media’s effects, suggests that quitting Facebook is unequivocally positive for one’s mental health. The one-month cleanse also led to a reduction in time spent on Facebook for several weeks after the experiment.