How a Social Media Detox Can Improve Mental, Physical Health
By Movieguide® Contributor
Have you ever detoxed from your devices? Here’s how ditching the digital world can improve your mental health and help you refocus on the real world.
“A digital detox refers to a period of time when a person refrains from using tech devices such as smartphones, televisions, computers, tablets, and social media sites,” VeryWell Mind reports.
Several benefits come with putting devices down.
According to Study Finds, a social media detox “reduced anxiety and depression.” The source shares, “Many experts suggest the rise in anxiety, especially in kids, is due to social media. We are constantly comparing ourselves to our friends, and if a post doesn’t get a certain number of likes or comments, we feel defeated.”
Movieguide® reported, “It’s no secret that mental health – particularly among the youth – has reached a crisis as more and more people struggle with issues such as anxiety and depression. The study found that there is not enough evidence to directly link this change to social media, but the technology has been shown to make pre-existing mental health problems among adolescents worse.”
Study Finds notes that putting your phone away will improve your sleep.
“If you don’t silence your smartphone at night, the constant notifications may keep you up at night, leading to less sleep. This can affect your mind and body,” the group says.
Ironically, limiting social media can also provide “stronger social connections.” Healthier Steps says, “When you meet someone in person, you can pick up on nonverbal cues that you can’t get from a screen. You can see how they react to different situations and gauge their true feelings about things.”
Taking a break from scrolling can also prevent FOMO or “fear of missing out.”
“When you see all your friends at a party that you weren’t invited to you can have FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)” Study Finds said. “But, if you never see what your friends are up to on social media, what you don’t know won’t hurt you!”
Steering clear of the digital world can also improve physical health.
“Looking at your screen constantly can cause eye strain as well as hand, neck, and back issues,” Study Finds says.
“’Humans are not made to look down while walking, sitting, or standing constantly.’ Giving yourself time off your device will make you feel a lot better both mentally and physically,” the source adds.
Although there are some pros to social media, such as staying connected to family and friends, taking a break or limiting time online offers many benefits. Movieguide® previously reported:
While screen addiction continues to plague smartphone users, Americans want to decrease their screen time and are setting up personal boundaries to do so.
Deloitte’s 2023 Connected Consumer survey found, “consumers aged 18 to 40 in particular are concerned about the consequences of their device usage, both on their physical and emotional well-being.”
“The survey finds that 53 percent of Americans in that age group struggle to limit their screen time to a comfortable level, while 51 and 47 percent worry that their device usage could negatively impact their physical or emotional health, respectively,” Statista reported.
Because of these negative effects, 80% of smartphone users have set personal boundaries to limit technology usage.
