The results showed that users who thoughtfully managed their online interactions, as well as those who abstained from social media altogether, saw mental health benefits, particularly in reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and loneliness.
With the almost universal use of social media among… Youthespecially those between the ages of 17 and 29, there have been growing concerns about its impact on mental health.
Professor Amori Mikami, who led the study, said: “There is a lot of talk about how harmful social media can be, but our team wanted to see if this is really the full picture, or whether the way people interact with social media is… Social might make a difference too.”
In the 6-week study, 393 young people with some mental health symptoms and concerns about the impact of social media on their mental health were divided into three groups:
- The group continued their usual routine.
- An “educational” group trained in improved use of social media. This use targets “meaningful” content and steers clear of content that promotes self-comparisons with people.
- A group that abstained from using social media completely.
The study found that the second and third groups recorded low levels of depression and loneliness.
This study indicated that the “quality” of content on social media may have a significant impact on young users, which means that the solution is not always to cut off social media completely.
