Reducing Social Media Use Can Improve Teen Mental Health: Study

Researchers also reported that taking just one week away from social media measurably reduced teens’ use of the platforms once they returned.

Amid continuing concerns about the side effects of social media addiction on the mental health of teens and young adults, new research suggests that taking even a single week away from platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and others can significantly ease depression, anxiety and insomnia.

According to the findings published in the journal JAMA Network Open on November 24, researchers found that although periodic breaks from social media did not significantly reduce feelings of loneliness, the data indicates they can reduce depressive symptoms by up to 25%.

Social Media Concerns

In recent years, a growing body of research has linked heavy social media use to increased mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders and suicidal thoughts. These concerns have intensified as new evidence emerges about how the platforms operate and how their features affect young users.

In October, a whistleblower report accused Instagram of deliberately designing features that endanger minors, indicating that two-thirds of its teen safety tools fail to function as claimed. The report added fuel to ongoing scrutiny of how major platforms handle user safety.

Following the whistleblower report, a lawsuit was filed against the developers of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and other social media platforms, alleging the platforms use data collection tools and algorithms to intentionally promote compulsive use among children and teens. Plaintiffs contend this can lead to negative health side effects.

These claims echo a wave of social media addiction lawsuits filed nationwide against companies that own Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, Snapchat and others. Plaintiffs allege the platforms knowingly deploy addictive algorithms that contribute to rising rates of depression, anxiety and other mental health harms.

In addition to addiction-related claims, several lawsuits have accused social media companies of failing to protect minors from sexual exploitation and trafficking by predatory users. These complaints argue that inadequate safeguards and oversight allowed dangerous individuals to target and harm children on the platforms.

Social Media Breaks Reduce Depression Symptoms

In this new study, researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston examined how social media use affects mental health in young adults. Led by Dr. Elombe Calvert, the team analyzed data from 373 participants ages 18 to 24 who tracked their use of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and X for two weeks before being offered a one-week social media detox.

Participants were part of a national recruitment registry conducted between March 2024 and March 2025. At the beginning of the study, users averaged 1.9 hours of screen time per day across all platforms, a total of 15.6 hours per week.

The data showed that a one-week break from social media improved mental health symptoms and appeared to curb addictive use, with participants’ average screen time dropping by about 30 minutes afterward.

The one-week social media detox helped reduce depression by 25%, anxiety by 16%, and insomnia by 15%. However, there was no change in participants’ measure of loneliness, which suggests that social media may help some users feel a sense of connection and community that they don’t have in their everyday lives.

The positive mental health outcomes were more effective for those who had worse mental health symptoms at the start of the study.

Researchers said problematic social media use was linked with worse mental health symptoms instead of higher quantity of use, meaning habits like doom scrolling or trolling had a larger impact on mental health than the time spent on social media.

Overall, researchers concluded that reducing social media use for one week may help improve mental health outcomes.

Teen Social Media Addiction Trials

The first federal social media addiction bellwether trial, involving claims against major companies like Meta and Google, is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2026 in Oakland California. Major social media companies face more than 2,000 lawsuits that are centralized as part of a federal multi-district litigation before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in the Northern District of California.

The “bellwether” trials will give the court an opportunity to see how juries respond to evidence and testimony regarding social media allegations, which are likely to be repeated throughout the litigation.

A similar consolidation of state claims is occurring in California Superior Court under Judge Carolyn Kuhl. The first California state trial is scheduled to begin on January 27, 2026, involving claims by a plaintiff identified only as K.G.M.

The early trials will be monitored for the strength or weaknesses of arguments on both sides. Outcomes may help determine the size of social media lawsuit payouts if a settlement agreement is reached.

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