Dr. Elambe Conrad

Researchers recruited nearly 400 young adults aged 18 to 24 and tracked their social media use for two weeks using an app.

On average, the participants use Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and other social media for about two hours a day.

The scientists also screened participants for their mental health symptoms at baseline before offering them a week-long social media detox.

Dr. Elambe Conrad is at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and an author of the new study.

Participants cut down their social media use to about 30 minutes a day.

It was enough to reduce symptoms of anxiety by 16%, symptoms of depression by 24%, and insomnia by 14%.

Ritu Chatterjee, NPR News.