A study published on 24 November 2025 in JAMA Network Open found that reducing social media use for just one week can improve mental health in young adults. Researchers tracked phone activity and daily moods to understand how small changes in online behavior influence stress levels, sleep patterns, and overall emotional balance during everyday life.
One Week Social Media Detox Reveals Rapid Mental Health Benefits for Young Individuals
A brief break from social media can make a measurable difference for young adults. In a study of nearly 300 participants aged 18 to 24, limiting usage from nearly two hours to half an hour per day for one week reduced anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
Background
Social media usage among young adults has consistently been associated with higher levels of anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances. Previous studies often relied on self-reported estimates of screen time, which are subject to recall bias. Objective measurements have been limited, leaving a gap in evidence linking usage to mental health outcomes.
The study involved a one-week social media detox and observed 295 participants aged 18 to 24. Their phones measured how often they opened common social apps. Each participant also completed short daily surveys about anxiety, sadness, energy, and sleep using simple rating scales that captured quick and real-time feelings or emotional states.
Furthermore, after the baseline period, the one-week social media detox took effect. Participants were asked to limit time on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and X. The goal was not full removal but reduction. The researchers then compared mood reports and phone data to see how less frequent scrolling affected everyday mental and physical well-being.
Main Findings
Results revealed measurable mental health improvements associated with a short-term reduction in social media use. On average, participants decreased usage from 1.9 hours per day to 0.5 hours. 6.2 percent of participants abstained completely. The benefits were greatest among those with problematic usage patterns. Below are details of the findings:
• Reduction in Anxiety: Participants experienced a 16.1 percent decrease in anxiety during the social media detox week. This suggests that limiting exposure to stress-inducing online content can alleviate psychological distress.
• Reduction in Depression: Depression symptoms declined by 24.8 percent. This can be an indicator that reduced engagement with social comparison and addictive scrolling may directly benefit mood regulation and overall mental well-being.
• Reduction in Insomnia: Insomnia symptoms decreased by 14.5 percent. This shows that reducing evening and night-time or bedtime social media activity can improve sleep quality and support circadian rhythm regulation.
• No Change in Loneliness: No statistically significant reduction in loneliness was found. This highlights that social media also serves as a tool for maintaining social connections, which may mitigate feelings of isolation despite reduced usage.
Implications
The research provides evidence that even a brief, one-week reduction in social media usage can produce tangible improvements in the mental health status of young adults. The findings above suggest that social media detox interventions could complement traditional therapeutic approaches for issues like anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances.
Remember that benefits were most pronounced for participants with problematic usage. This can be an indicator that interventions targeting addictive patterns and negative social comparison may be more effective than those focused solely on limiting overall screen time. Clinicians may consider assessing usage quality alongside quantity.
The absence of a change in loneliness emphasizes the complex role of social media. While some content and engagement may negatively affect mental health, it is still worth noting that other interactions support social connection. Balanced approaches may be required to maximize benefits without reducing meaningful social interactions.
Despite limitations, including self-selection bias, lack of a randomized control group, and absence of long-term follow-up, the study demonstrates the potential value of short-term social media reduction as a behavioral strategy. Further research is needed to examine long-term outcomes and the specific mechanisms underlying these improvements.
FURTHER READING AND REFERENCE
- Calvert, E., Cipriani, M., Dwyer, B., Lisowski, V., Mikkelson, J., Chen, K., Flathers, M., Hau, C., Xia, W., Castillo, J., Dhima, A., Ryan, S., and Torous, J. 2025. “Social Media Detox and Youth Mental Health.” JAMA Network Open. 8(11): e2545245. DOI: 1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.45245