It wouldn't take much.

frafiomatale (77)in #science • 2 days ago

❗This is the English version of the post Basterebbe poco, originally published in Italian in the ITALY community.

The beneficial effects of digital detox, namely a voluntary break from technology (especially smartphones and the internet), have been clearly confirmed by several studies and experiments.

Stress reduction, improvement in mental, relational, and sensory abilities, as well as a decrease in issues such as anxiety or sleep disorders, seem to be the natural outcome of a process aimed at minimizing—if not completely eliminating—the impact of technology on daily life.

However, not everyone can afford, for work-related or personal reasons, to completely abandon every form of technology overnight, although some adjustments, such as reducing phone use in the evening hours or immediately after waking up, could still provide the first benefits.

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A good book can easily replace the mindless evening scrolling on a phone screen, just as a light run or a morning walk—before even picking up the smartphone—could, according to science, have the effect of waking up neurons still drowsy from sleep, making them active and lively for the day.

What has particularly sparked curiosity, however, is the discovery made by a new study published in JAMA Network Open: research conducted on approximately 300 young people aged between 18 and 24 established that even abstaining solely from social networks represents an important step toward a significant improvement in certain conditions.

In the two-week experiment, social network use was reduced in one group to just thirty minutes per day, while in another group of volunteers it was even reduced to zero.

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The benefits were evident, with several subjects experiencing significant improvements in delicate conditions such as insomnia, anxiety, and even depression.

The most important factor behind these encouraging results turned out to be the interruption of comparison with the seemingly perfect lives of many individuals who dominate the major social networks.

Breaking away from comparisons with unattainable scenarios—often artificially constructed—by so-called influencers helped calm the minds of young people, increasing their self-esteem and consequently reducing the negative effects associated with the use of social networks.