A new study in JAMA Network Open has confirmed something your mom, your therapist, and every “self-care” influencer with a ring light has told you for years: taking a break from social media is actually good for you. Shocking, we know.
The study followed 295 young adults, ages 18 to 24, the demographic most likely to scroll TikTok until their eyeballs vibrate, and found that just one week of reduced social media use led to noticeable mental health improvements.
For years, people have claimed going offline for a week “changed their life.” But scientific proof has been messy, in part because past research leaned on self-reported data, which is notoriously unreliable (yes, we all lie about screen time).
To get around this, the study used digital phenotyping: participants passively tracked their app use, movement, screen activity, and GPS. This isn’t just “how much I think I’m scrolling”; it’s “how much I actually am.”
Here’s what happened:
The average usage went from 1.9 hours/day to 0.5 hours. That’s not just a millennial detox, that’s a full-on tech sabbatical.
After one week, participants self-reported:
These gains were strongest for those who’d identified as “problematic users”, people who treat social media like their therapist, their diary, and their entertainment center all in one. The researchers suggest the benefit comes not just from quitting apps, but from reducing problematic engagement (addiction, negative comparison) rather than just screen time itself.
Interestingly, participants didn’t feel significantly less lonely. Social media wasn’t just a trap, for many, it’s a way to connect and belong. So when it’s taken away, some of that social glue disappears, too.
There are limits. Participants volunteered (bias alert), and there was no long-term follow-up or control group. So while the short-term results are promising, we don’t know if they last.
Still, the point is clear: cutting back on social media, even for a week, could be a surprisingly effective way to support mental health.
As the authors conclude: Reducing social media use for one week may improve mental health outcomes in young adults, but whether those effects last requires more research.
