In today’s society, social media has become an integral part of our lives. However, excessive usage can take a toll on our mental and emotional well-being. That’s where a social media detox comes in.

Social media detoxing involves taking a break from social media platforms to regain control over our digital lives. It’s an opportunity to prioritize real-world experiences, reduce stress, and improve productivity. One of the benefits of social media detox is that we may regain our time and focus on more important activities. It enables us to socialize in person, pursue hobbies, and find moments of rest.

Not only does a social media detox help us unplug, but it also reduces the negative impact of constant comparison and curated content. It can alleviate feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, and depression, promoting a renewed sense of well-being.

Real Research, an online survey app, launched a survey on social media detoxes to gather public opinion on this practice.

Highlights:

  • 40.63% are well aware of social media detox practices.
  • 44.29% of respondents consume 1-3 hours of social media daily.
  • 32.46% stated social media has positively affected their lives.

During a social media detox, individuals consciously disconnect from social media platforms, limit screen time, and redirect their attention to offline activities, self-reflection, and personal connections. This intentional break aims to reduce stress, improve productivity, enhance mental health, and foster a healthier digital and real-world balance.

According to our survey, participants were asked about their awareness of social media detoxing. The findings revealed interesting insights into the level of familiarity with this practice.

Among the respondents, 41% demonstrated a high level of awareness. 34% of respondents displayed vague awareness of social media detoxing, suggesting a general familiarity with the concept but a limited understanding of its specifics and potential advantages. Lastly, 25% of respondents indicated being unaware of social media detoxing.

Time Consumed on Social Media

When the respondents were inquired about the time they spend on social media daily, the survey findings demonstrated that 44% spend 1-3 hours daily. A significant portion (34%) indicated spending less than an hour, while 16% reported spending 4-7 hours. A smaller percentage (6%) revealed spending more than 8 hours daily on social media.

Similarly, we asked them how much social media affected their lives. The survey results revealed that 33% said it positively impacted their lives and 30% stated positively. On the other hand, 31% remained neutral, 5% said negatively, and 2% said very negatively.

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Figure 1: How has social media affected your life?

Moreover, when asked whether they felt more stressed and anxious when consuming social media, most of the respondents (71%) agreed, compared to 28% who disagreed. Meanwhile, 24% remained neutral.

According to the next survey poll, respondents were asked to indicate their level of agreement regarding the impact of social media on difficulty sleeping. The results reveal the following:

49% of respondents agreed that social media causes difficulty sleeping, 6% of respondents disagreed with the statement, and 26% of respondents remained neutral or expressed no clear opinion on the matter.

According to Figure 2, when asked about respondents’ agreement with the statement, “Mental health motivated me to try a social media detox,” the survey revealed the following responses:

The majority of respondents, 76%, agreed with the statement that their mental health motivated them to try a social media detox. On the other hand, only 4% of respondents disagreed, suggesting a smaller percentage may not perceive a strong link between social media usage and their mental health.

Additionally, 20% remained neutral, indicating a portion of respondents may be unsure or have mixed feelings about the relationship between their mental health and social media use.

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Figure 2: To what extent has mental health motivated you to try a social media detox?

Another similar poll asked the respondents, “To what extent do you agree with the following statement, ‘My desire to focus on real-life relationships motivated me to try a social media detox.’”

The results revealed that 74% agreed with the following statement, compared to 4% who disagreed. Meanwhile, 23% of the respondents remained neutral.

Next, the respondents were asked whether their desire to improve productivity motivated them to try a social media detox. The survey poll data revealed that 72% agreed with the above statement and 4% disagreed.

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Figure 3: Did you experience any positive changes during your social media detox?

Lastly, the survey asked the respondents whether they experienced any effects of social media detox during their practice. The majority of respondents (81%) said yes and 20% said no.

Methodology

Survey TitleSurvey on Social Media Detoxes
DurationJune 5, 2023 – June 12, 2023
Number of Participants10,000
DemographicsMales and females, aged 21 to 99
Participating Countries Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, China (Hong Kong) China (Macao), China (Taiwan), Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Greanada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Maldives, Maluritania, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar [Burma], Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.