The effect of deactivating Facebook and Instagram on users' emotional state (nber.org)

Article summary

A study found that deactivating Facebook and Instagram for six weeks before the 2020 US election led to a small but significant improvement in users' emotional state, with a 0.060 standard deviation improvement in happiness, depression, and anxiety for Facebook and 0.041 for Instagram. The study suggests that the effect of Facebook deactivation is driven by people over 35, while the Instagram effect is driven by women under 25. The study's findings are based on two large randomized experiments. The results have implications for understanding the impact of social media on mental health.

Main themes

• Social media impact on mental health
• Facebook and Instagram deactivation
• Emotional state improvement
• Randomized experiments
• Demographic differences in social media effects

What commenters say

• Deactivating Facebook and Instagram can lead to a small but significant improvement in emotional state, but the effect size is relatively small compared to other interventions like therapy.
• The benefits of deactivating social media may be more noticeable for certain demographics, such as people over 35 or women under 25.
• Some users believe that social media companies like Meta prioritize their own interests over users' well-being, and that any benefits from using their platforms are incidental.
• Others argue that it is not entirely naive to believe that social media companies must do something to make their users want to use their platforms, and that users' interests and companies' interests may align to some extent.
• The study's findings are difficult to interpret without more context about the scale and meaning of the emotional state measurements, and the relationship between score changes and real-world impacts.
• Comparing the effect size of social media deactivation to other interventions, such as therapy, can provide a more nuanced understanding of its significance.
• The improvement in emotional state from deactivating social media may be small, but it is still a notable effect that can be meaningful for individuals, especially when compared to the potential negative effects of continued social media use.
• The relationship between social media use and emotional state is complex, and more research is needed to fully understand the effects of social media on mental health.