A social media detox probably won't make you any happier

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-11-09 06:00

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A social media detox may not improve your mood, according to international researchers, who say the impact of reducing social media use is varied, but doesn't appear to cause any withdrawal effects like those experienced when quitting addictive drugs. The researchers monitored the mood of 51 heavy social media users over 15 days - using social media normally for the first three days, attempting to abstain for six days, and then resuming normal use for four days. They say that while 'relapse' was common, participants reduced their social media use by an average of 80% overall, and did not experience anything like the withdrawal you'd expect when quitting addictive drugs. The team adds that while they saw some decreases in negative moods while participants were off social media, there were also decreases in some positive moods. Overall, they say there is no clear, uniform impact on mood one way or the other when quitting or limiting social media.