Study Finds Higher Happiness, Less Depression Without Instagram and Facebook

Rapid Summary

• A Stanford University study involved paying over 35,000 people to deactivate Instagram or Facebook for six weeks.
• Participants experienced measurable improvements in emotional well-being:

– Facebook users saw a 6% betterment.
– Instagram users experienced a 4% improvement.

• Quitting social media was found to be partially as effective as therapy:

– Facebook: 15% as effective.
– Instagram: 22% as effective.

• More than half of election-related stress was eliminated during the study period for these participants.
• instead of stopping phone use, participants switched their time to other apps:

– Instagram users replaced almost all their social media usage with other apps.
– Facebook users reduced phone engagement by only nine minutes per day.

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Indian Opinion Analysis

This study highlights the emotional impact of popular social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. While these tools are often considered essential for connection and communication, their role in exacerbating anxiety and depression is increasingly evident. india’s digital landscape mirrors global trends of high social media penetration among its population. This research provides insight into how curbing time on such platforms could be integrated into mental health strategies locally.

The fact that quitting these platforms yielded results comparable to therapeutic interventions may encourage consideration among Indian policymakers for public campaigns promoting mental wellness via responsible digital use. However, it also raises questions about whether simply switching from one app to others truly addresses underlying issues tied to excessive screen time or digital dependency-a challenge equally relevant in India’s rapidly digitizing society.