Turn off social media

Aussies limiting use in bid to claw back time, lower stress

LESS stress, more focus, and an extra hour and a half each day: new studies show these are some of the benefits to cutting back social media. And experts say there’s a groundswell of Australians who are setting online restrictions for themselves in 2020 or planning social media “vacations”. The trend follows research showing health benefits to limiting or giving up social media.

LESS stress, more focus, and an extra hour and a half each day: new studies show these are some of the benefits of cutting back on social media.

And experts say there’s a groundswell of Australians who are setting online restrictions for themselves in 2020 or planning social media “vacations” to reclaim their time.

The trend follows a host of research showing health benefits to limiting or giving up social media, though researchers warn heavy users should take care before getting rid of their accounts completely.

Digital media strategist Meg Coffey said strategies to limit time spent on social networks had been discussed for years but more people were now setting limits.

“A lot of us are over it and we’re realising what a timesuck it is,” Ms Coffey said.

“If you’re the type to keep mindlessly scrolling social media, you’ve got to find a way to set boundaries. It’s not helpful for your wellbeing, it’s not helpful for your eyes, it’s not helpful for your neck to be bent over a phone, and I think people need to have a conversation with themselves about what boundaries they should put in place.”

A 2019 study by We Are Social and Hootsuite found Australians spent an average of 91 minutes using and perusing social media every day, and an extra one million people became active social network users.

But research shows there are benefits to limiting that activity and reclaiming some of that time.

A recent study from the University of Technology Sydney found “quitting or reducing time on Facebook” could help uni students improve their focus and results.

And it followed research from the University of Queensland that found taking a break from Facebook reduced a user’s level of the stress hormone cortisol within just five days.

UQ School of Psychology associate professor Dr Eric Vanman, who led the study, said he was surprised the results were so stark and planned to investigate the effects of giving up all forms of social media.

“The study showed when you give up social media for a while you do feel calmer,” he said.

But he warned the fear of missing out on activities posted to social media could make regular users unhappy, and they may be better off taking short breaks.