Dial down social media use for better mental health

An article in the recent issue of the International Journal of Indian Psychology says that around 20 per cent–25 per cent of Indian youth suffer from mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts. Academic pressure is one of the most commonly cited stressors, especially among school and college students, often leading to chronic stress and emotional distress.

One of the other major factors has been the increasing use of social media which has significantly impacted the psychological health of Indian youth. It may have created new opportunities for expression and connection, but excessive social media use has also introduced issues such as cyber bullying, body image concerns, and social comparison.

However, a study published last month in the journal JAMA Network Open, has some good news. It says reducing the use of social media for just one week reduced symptoms of anxiety, depression and insomnia in young adults.

Researchers evaluated 295 volunteers, (18 to 24 years) who had opted to participate in this study. The volunteers were asked to stay off social media as much as possible. From two hours initially, the participants were able reduce it to a half an hour per day.

When volunteers were evaluated at the end of the week, researchers found opting for a seven-day detox reduced symptoms anxiety by 16.1 per cent, depression by 24.8 per cent and insomnia by 14.5 per cent. There was no significant change in loneliness though, the study found.

Notably, these improvements were more pronounced among participants with more severe symptoms, especially depression.

In the past many sportspersons have gone off who have either deleted or temporarily removed social media apps from their phones to focus on their game. Cricketers Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli have been known to stay off social media before big games.

As part of sleep hygiene, particularly those affected with insomnia, experts have recommended staying away from screens at least an hour from bedtime.

Mental health experts agree that the findings of the study published in JAMA only add to existing evidence that most mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, loneliness, etc, often go down for those who go off social media for a while. — RSS