Every day, the French spend an average of 1 hour 22 minutes on social networks, according to the Digital Annual Report 2018 published by the companies Hootsuite and We Are Social in January 2018.
We know that social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.) have a considerable impact on our well-being. Thus, according to several international studies, they would aggravate our physical complexes, deteriorate the mental health of adolescents, harm school results, promote eating disorders… In short, it is better not to abuse them.
Precisely: a recent study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania (in the United States) recommends that we considerably limit our use of social networks to, in particular, fight against the feeling of loneliness, depression and anxiety.
The American researchers worked with a group of 143 volunteers aged 18 to 22. These were divided into two groups: the first group maintained a “normal” activity on social networks while the second group had to limit itself to 10 minutes of consumption per day.
30 minutes a day is enough!
After 3 weeks, the researchers found that the volunteers who limited themselves to 10 minutes of daily social media felt, paradoxically, less alone, less depressed and less anxious than the volunteers in the first group.
“Of course, it is not a question of completely cutting oneself off from social networks”, nuance Melissa G. Hunt, psychologist and main author of this work, published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology. “However, we believe that limiting yourself to 30 minutes a day can be beneficial for the general well-being of the person, especially if they suffer from depression, loneliness or even anxiety. ” Message received !
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