According to a recent report, taking a break from Facebook may improve your mental health considerably. Are you shocked? Neither are we.
The study, which was published in Cyberphysiology, Behaviour and Social Networking, found that quitting Facebook for just a short period of time had noticeable effects on an individual’s well-being.
Here’s how researches made that conclusion: About 2,000 Facebook users with an average of 35 were asked a series of questions regarding their use of the social networking service. They were also questioned about their life satisfaction and their general happiness, enthusiasm, depression, and anger.
After the question-and-answer portion, the Facebook users were split into two groups: One was told to continue using the website, while the other was required to abstain for a seven days. At the end of the week, all participants were surveyed again, getting questioned on their outlook on life as well as their emotional state. Those who were heavy users before the break had a substantial boost in mental health; occasional users who quit for a week, however, only experience moderate benefits.
“The present study provides causal evidence that quitting Facebook leads to higher levels of both cognitive and affective well-being,” author Tromholt Morten wrote in the report. "The participants who took a one-week break from Facebook reported significantly higher levels of life satisfaction and a significantly improved emotional life."
Duh.
