The Remarkable Benefits of Digital Detox

Lynne Lyons, MD
2 days ago
3 min read

To my dear readers, I want to talk to you about smartphone usage! The average smartphone user spends an astounding 4.6 hours per day on their devices. So, it is no wonder that 50% of Americans - and 80% of those under age 30, believe they spend too much time on their phones.

There is growing sentiment, grounded in early research, that excessive cell phone usage, especially on social media can be damaging to one’s mental health, especially that of the young and impressionable. Many of you may have heard about the landmark lawsuit decision this past March in California, where a jury found that Meta and Google were negligent and caused mental distress and addiction to a teenager on their social media platforms. It’s also quite possible that you know someone, perhaps even yourself, who has been negatively affected by their phone usage.

Device Free Zone sign, with woman reading

In 2025 some major scientific studies were published that found that reduced exposure to smartphone and social media could reverse some of this harm. It’s worth going into some detail into two of these studies since they have some real-world applications. Many of the solutions can be easily attempted by most of us for incremental improvements in our quality of life. However, if the addiction is significant, it is recommended to seek professional help.

One of the important studies was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association by researchers from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and the University of Bath (England):

Young adult participants who used Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and/or X on their smartphones were asked to “detox” from social media for one week by greatly reducing their usage of social media. The participants spent on average 26% less time on these media and reported significant improvement in insomnia, anxiety, and depression, with greater benefits for those with more serious depression.

Another study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Nexus by researchers from a variety of universities and research organizations in Canada and the United States:

This study went further than governing social media apps, they limited phone internet access of this study’s participants for two weeks. This was so challenging that only 25% of the committed participants managed to comply! For the participants who completed the study, the results were stark: 91% of the participants saw improvements in mental health, subjective well-being, and/or attentiveness. The improvements got progressively better over the two weeks indicating that the intervention may have greater effectiveness in the third week and beyond. Moreover, the benefits were persistent over time. In the time saved, the participants spent more time socializing in person, exercising, and being in nature. Talk about taking time to “smell the roses!” The study also found that the positive effects exceeded the impacts of antidepressant medication and roughly matched the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy. Even the participants who couldn’t fully comply recognized benefits from reduced exposure.

The scientific community is just starting to scratch the surface of understanding the impacts of the smartphone and social media and how to alleviate what is looking like a mental health crisis, especially for the young with still developing minds. These studies seem to indicate that simply reducing usage can have rapid and lasting benefits. If you think that this kind of intervention can help you or a loved one, please feel free to try it. If you need us, we are here to help!