Study: Abandoning social media saves you from loneliness and depression

The study has found that students who restricted daily use of Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat in 10 minutes a day had experienced significant declines in depressive symptoms. Limitation of Facebook use, Instagram and Snapchat directly leads to reduced loneliness and depression, according to research published by researchers at Pennsylvania University.

In the study, researchers have observed 143 students over three weeks. The students were divided into two groups; one who continued to use social media normally, and the other who was limited to using any social service for 10 minutes a day. The experiment found that the group that had used social media in a limited way indicated a significant decline in depressive symptoms.

“The decline in life with others had far stronger consequences than imagined, and I felt more positive about myself during these weeks”, one of the students said.

Although other studies have revealed links between social media and mental health, the latest study claims to be the first to establish a clear, casual relationship between reducing social media use and improving loneliness and depression.

It's ironic, but perhaps not surprising, that the reduction of social media, which promises to help us connect with others, actually helps people feel less lonely and depressive”, the study says.