The effect of Instagram usage reduction on psychological health and well-being
Abstract
The aim of this study was to analyse the effect of Instagram usage reduction on the psychological well-being of young adults. Participants (n = 72) were randomly assigned into three groups, the experimental group (n = 25) used Instagram for a maximum of 10 minutes a day and turned off notifications, the active control group (n = 24) turned off notifications, and the passive control group (n= 23) used Instagram without any restriction. Baseline monitoring took place in the first week followed by three weeks of experimental intervention. The results showed a significant decrease in depressive symptoms (F (1.67) = 20.86; p < .001), negative emotions (F (1.67) = 7.85; p = .007), loneliness (F (1.67) = 4.69; p = .034) and increase in self-esteem (F (1.67) = 8.347; p = .005) and positive emotions (F (1. 67) = 7.40; p = .008) across the sample, i.e., in both experimental and control groups. The improvement in psychological well-being without significant differences between the groups can be attributed to monitoring the use, so the fact that we have an overview of our own use of Instagram can bring benefits. The measured values are listed in the English appendix (https://drive.google.com/…CWVHD9E/view).
https://doi.org/10.29364/epsy.467
(Fulltext in Czech)
Keywords
Instagram, well-being, mental health, social networking sites, randomized controlled trialLiterature
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