Social media use is widely believed to affect youth mental health, yet current evidence remains mixed, largely due to inconsistent study findings and the limitations of self-reported data. To better understand this relationship, researchers conducted a cohort study involving 373 young adults aged 18 to 24 years, using a 1-week social media detox intervention following a 2-week baseline period. The study showed that participants who completed the detox experienced notable reductions in mental health symptoms: anxiety decreased by 16.1%, depression by 24.8%, and insomnia by 14.5%.
Despite these improvements, the intervention produced only small increases in home time and screen duration, with substantial variation between individuals. No meaningful change was observed in loneliness. Overall, the findings indicate that reducing social media use for one week may help alleviate anxiety,…
