Does a 7-day restriction on the use of social media improve cognitive functioning and emotional well-being? Results from a randomized controlled trial

Wezel, Marloes M.C. van; Abrahamse, Elger; Abeele, Mariek Vanden

doi:10.1016/j.abrep.2021.100365

Cited by 17 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…One feature that may explain the differences in these findings is the length of abstinence, with the longer-term studies (e.g., Hunt et al, 2018Hunt et al, , 2021 reporting greater improvements than studies using shortened timeframes (e.g., Przybylski et al, 2021;van Wezel et al, 2021). In fact, Hall et al (2019) found that reducing social media use can have multiple effects on wellbeing.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Reduction in Social Media Usage Produces Improvements in Physical Health and Wellbeing: An RCT

Reed

Fowkes

Khela

2023

J. technol. behav. sci.

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Social media usage has increased over recent years and has been associated with negative effects on health and wellbeing. This study explored whether reducing smartphone screentime would improve health and wellbeing. Fifty students completed a battery of questionnaires regarding their health, immune function, loneliness, sleep, anxiety, and depression. They were allocated randomly to groups either using smartphones as normal (No Change), reducing usage by 15 min per day (Reduce), or reducing use by 15 min and substituting another activity during this time (Reduce + Activity). After 3 months, they completed the same questionnaires again. There was unexpectedly low compliance with the Reduce + Activity (leisure substitution) intervention. In contrast, there was a significant reduction in screentime for the Reduce group compared to the other two groups. There was a significant improvement in the Reduce group in general health, immune function, loneliness, and depression compared to the other groups. These findings extend previous results from similar studies and suggest limiting screentime may be beneficial to health and wellbeing.

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confidence: 99%

Reduction in Social Media Usage Produces Improvements in Physical Health and Wellbeing: An RCT

Reed

Fowkes

Khela

2023

J. technol. behav. sci.

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“…To the best of our knowledge, no other trials have investigated the impact of limiting overall recreational digital screen use on perceived mental well-being and mood. Some trials have investigated the short-term effects of limiting social media engagement on mental well-being and shown mixed results 13 – 17 . A key difference between previous trials and our trial is the high level of intervention compliance observed in our trial.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While the findings based on observational studies may be affected by uncontrolled confounding or information bias caused by use of self-reported screen use 10 , 12 , another major limitation is the possibility of reverse causation—that is, that recreational screen use is increased as a consequence of mental health issues 8 . Recently, a few experimental studies have investigated the short-term effects of reducing social media use (not overall recreational screen use) on mental health 13 – 17 . However, evidence is still inconclusive primarily due to methodological limitations such as lack of objective assessment of intervention compliance or non-compliance to the intervention.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of limiting digital screen use on well-being, mood, and biomarkers of stress in adults

Pedersen

Rasmussen

Sørensen

et al. 2022

npj Mental Health Res

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Studies have linked higher digital screen use with poorer mental health. However, there is limited experimental evidence to suggest a causal relationship. In this trial, we aimed to investigate the effects of limiting recreational digital screen use on mental well-being, mood, and biomarkers of stress in healthy young and middle-aged adults. We randomly allocated 89 families (including 164 adults) to participate in an extensive screen media reduction intervention or control. Participants in the intervention group were instructed to decrease their recreational screen use to less than 3 hours/week/person. Intervention compliance was assessed using applications and tv-monitors. Overall subjective mental well-being and mood, and collected daily biomarkers of stress (salivary cortisol and cortisone) was assessed at baseline and 2-week follow-up. Reducing recreational digital screen use resulted in significantly improved self-reported well-being and mood in adults allocated to the intervention compared to control. We observed no intervention effects for biomarkers of stress. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04098913, 23/09/2019).

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“…In total, 17 authors were contacted for data due to insufficient information provided in the reports to calculate effect sizes. Of those, eight provided the requested data (Gobin et al, 2022; Hall et al, 2021; Hinsch & Sheldon, 2013; Hunt et al, 2018, 2021; Mosquera et al, 2020; Turel et al, 2018; van Wezel et al, 2021), leaving ten studies where effect sizes could not be calculated. Those studies with insufficient data to enable the calculation of effect sizes were included in the narrative synthesis of findings.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interventions to reduce the negative impact of online highly visual social networking site use on mental health outcomes: A scoping review.

Herriman¹,

Taylor²,

Roberts³

2024

Psychology of Popular Media

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The popularity and usage of highly visual social networking site (HVSNS) platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, have increased exponentially over recent years. Research suggests several negative mental health outcomes, including body dissatisfaction, increased depression, and reduced well-being. While targeted interventions have emerged, they have had mixed outcomes and vary in objective and design. A scoping review was undertaken to map the existing literature relating to interventions designed to reduce the negative impact of HVSNSs on psychological outcomes to inform future program development. A systematic search of the literature was conducted, and the features and effectiveness of interventions were examined. Effect sizes (using Hedge's g) were additionally calculated using a random effects model, with data pooled where possible. Results indicated a wide variety of approaches to interventions with a focus on varying mental health outcomes. Existing interventions demonstrate promise with a general trend toward small improvements in well-being outcomes. However, the review highlights the need for consistency in terminology relating to online platforms, development of interventions that are theory-driven, along with improved methodological rigor. The continued development of psychological programs that are designed to minimize the negative impact of HVSNSs on mental health outcomes is encouraged across diverse populations. Public Policy Relevance StatementPsychology-informed interventions designed to reduce the negative impact of online HVSNS use on mental health outcomes have been varied in their design and outcomes of interest. Despite some variation in intervention success, a general trend toward modest positive improvements was found. Further development of easily accessible interventions that are theory-driven and with improved methodological rigor is required.

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Does a 7-day restriction on the use of social media improve cognitive functioning and emotional well-being? Results from a randomized controlled trial

Cited by 17 publications

References 72 publications

Reduction in Social Media Usage Produces Improvements in Physical Health and Wellbeing: An RCT

Reduction in Social Media Usage Produces Improvements in Physical Health and Wellbeing: An RCT

Effects of limiting digital screen use on well-being, mood, and biomarkers of stress in adults

Interventions to reduce the negative impact of online highly visual social networking site use on mental health outcomes: A scoping review.

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