Credits: Social Media
Neuroscientist reveals time you should spend on social media daily for overall well-being
How long is too long on social media? Well, the answer varies from person to person depending on the impact Internet usage has on each individual.
The Internet is actively used in every nook and corner of the world. The easy access to technology has made it addictive, resulting in some unpleasant consequences. So, a neuroscientist shows how to calculate how much time you should spend on social media using a technique backed by science.
6 questions to determine your social media habit
No matter how addicted you are to social media, there comes a point when you should take a moment to reflect on the time you’re investing in it.
So, how do you know whether you’re spending too much or too little time scrolling through your favorite apps? Dr. Rachell Barr shares six questions you should ask yourself.
She quotes a study that found spending as little as 30 minutes a day results in a decline in mental distress including reduced depression, loneliness, and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).
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Although the study analyzed only 30 minutes of social media habit a day, some people could still see similar benefits by spending more or less time, and there’s a way to find out how long you should personally spend on different apps.
Answer the following questions after establishing how much time you spend on social media each day (base time) using built-in features on your phone or roughly studying your phone habit for two to three days.
1. Are you sleeping poorly?
2. How’s your attention span? Are you distracted and unable to focus on other tasks?
3. How is your mood? Are you easily irritated or anxious?
4. Are you noticing any physical discomfort like eye strain or headache?
5. What is your engagement time? Are you engaging in content that evokes negative feelings like anger or resentment?
6. Have you stopped or reduced the time you used to invest in offline relationships and hobbies?
How much time you should be spending for better well-being
If your answer to two or more of the above questions is “yes”, the neuroscientist recommends going back to the base time you set in the beginning and “reducing your social media consumption by 20%.”
For the next two weeks, use social media for a limited time only based on the calculations demonstrated above, and then go back to the checklist.
If your answer is still yes to two or more questions despite limiting your daily consumption of social media, reduce it by another 20%. That would be the time you should ideally invest in your favorite apps without compromising your mental health.
Dr. Rachel Barr�is a neuroscientist and Behavioral Science Consultant, with a PhD in Molecular Neuroscience with a focus on the relationship between sleep and memory.
