Can a Break From Social Media Improve Mental Health?

Social media use can lead to self-criticism.

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My friend Alli, a woman in her 20s, described an interesting emotional arc to her Instagram use. As she scrolled, she found some of the posts inspiring, but after a while, she noticed that spending time on the app left her feeling “bummed.” Alli decided to delete Instagram for a month. She reflected that during that month, she felt “10 times better.”

I was curious. Was Alli’s experience typical? Is there research evidence demonstrating that a break from social media makes people feel meaningfully better?

Research Shows Social Media Breaks Can Benefit Mental Health

A 2022 research study asked 154 participants (average age of 29.6 years) to either stop using social media for one week (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok) or to continue using it as usual. The group who took a break from social media experienced significantly reduced anxiety and depression, along with greater well-being.

Among university students, one study of 555 participants showed that a one-week break from social media meaningfully decreased stress levels, especially for people who used social media excessively.

A 2022 research study of girls ages 10-19 demonstrated that a three-day social media break significantly lowered their body surveillance (for instance, worrying about whether their clothes were flattering to their bodies) and body shame and increased their self-compassion.

Why Social Media Breaks Boost Mental Health

Using social media often involves comparing yourself to others, and it can generate appearance comparisons, career frustration, and envy. One reason that decreasing social media use can improve mental health involves self-criticism. Social media use can increase self-criticism, a common mental habit that is linked with many mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, substance use, eating disorders, and self-harm.

Strategies to Decrease Social Media Use

Both "software" and "hardware" strategies can help people manage their social media use. For instance, one "software" approach would be to delete the apps on your phone but keep them on a laptop or desktop computer. Similarly, switching your phone to grayscale can reduce use.

A hardware approach could involve keeping your phone further away from your body (for instance, in a specific spot in your house, as with old-timey phones) rather than in your pocket or trying a flip phone for a month.

I‘ve found that when I have social media apps on my phone, I check them several times throughout the day and perhaps spend more time on them than I would like. I decided to remove access to those accounts on my phone so that I now only access those through my laptop. I still check the accounts a couple of times a week, but much less frequently than if they were on my phone. If you have more than one device, this option might reduce social media use.

I've also been fortunate to attend a meditation retreat where I turned off my phone (and laptop) for eight days (there are shorter retreats available as well). My family had the number of the meditation center if they needed to reach me. Although there were times that I felt the familiar tug of wanting to check my phone, mostly, it felt quite liberating to have given myself permission to just be in one place, doing one thing at a time, without feeling my mind pulled in so many different directions. Others’ accounts of a break from social media and smartphones also reflect several benefits, including more time for other activities and enhanced mental clarity.

Is a Full Break Necessary?

Research shows that limiting social media use can indeed improve well-being and productivity, with heavy users experiencing the most pronounced benefits. One study of 230 undergraduate students reported that participants who limited social media use daily to 30 minutes for a two-week period experienced significantly less depression, loneliness, anxiety, and fear of missing out, whereas their positive feelings increased.

Other research shows that reducing smartphone (and presumably social media) use by one hour for a week was linked to increases in well-being and life satisfaction that were maintained four months later. Taken together, the evidence indicates that either reducing social media use or taking a break can have meaningful benefits that may endure over time.