The Impact of Short-Term Social Media Detox on Stress and Anxiety Levels: An Experimental Analysis

Abstract

Apprehensions about the potentially harmful effects of excessive social media use on mental health have prompted the development of therapies such as social media detox in digitalized world. This study seeks to investigate how a quick social media detox affects people's stress and anxiety levels. As part of experiment, 60 individuals were randomly assigned to a social media detox group or a control group. The control group continued to use social media as normal, but the social media detox group was instructed to refrain from all social media platforms for a week. Before the intervention, baseline stress and anxiety levels were assessed using standardized self-report questionnaires. Following the one-week program, both groups were given post-intervention measures. The social media detox group participants provided qualitative input on their detox experiences. According to the findings, participants in the social media detox group had significantly lower self-reported stress and anxiety levels than those in the control group. People who had previously experienced higher levels of stress and anxiety had the greatest impact. Themes in the qualitative data from participants who completed the detox included increased awareness of real-life circumstances, improved sleep quality, and reduced feelings of information overload. These findings add to the expanding body of evidence on the potential benefits of limiting social media use to brief intervals. The study examines the feasibility and efficacy of short-term social media detoxification therapies for reducing stress and anxiety levels. More research is needed to determine the long-term viability of these effects, potential mediation pathways, and the generalizability of findings across diverse groups.