The effects of social media abstinence on affective well-being and life satisfaction: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Lemahieu L, Vander Zwalmen Y, Mennes M, Koster EHW, Vanden Abeele MMP, Poels K
Scientific reports · 17 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Meta-analysis (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- Government
- European Commission
- Government
- Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
- Government
- Research Foundation Flanders
- Government
- European Research Council
- Government
- Research Foundation Flanders (FWO-Vlaanderen)
- Government
- European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the European Research Council Starting Grant agreement
- Government
- European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the European Research Council Starting Grant agreement
- Grants
- Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (T000720N); Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (S005923N)
Based on 7 listed funder(s) and full-text disclosure statement.
Publication
- Published
- 2025-03-04 · Sci Rep · vol. 15 · issue 1 · p. 7581
- Publisher
- Nature Portfolio
- Cited
- 43 citations · more than 99% of similar papers · 14.8× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 67 works
- Access
- Open access (journal) · CC-BY-NC-ND
- Research areas
- Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Social and Behavioral Studies · Technology Adoption and User Behaviour
- Keywords
- digital disconnection, emotional well-being, positive affect, negative affect, life satisfaction, well-being interventions, abstinence duration
- MeSH
- humans, personal satisfaction, affect, social media
6 authors
From BE
- Laura Lemahieu · correspondingUniversity of Antwerp
- Yannick Vander ZwalmenGhent University
- Marthe MennesUniversity of Antwerp; Ghent University
- Ernst H. W. KosterGhent University
- Mariek Vanden AbeeleGhent University
- Karolien PoelsUniversity of Antwerp
Abstract
Abstaining from social media has become a popular digital disconnection strategy of individuals to enhance their well-being. To date, it is unclear whether social media abstinences are truly effective in improving well-being, however, as studies produce inconsistent outcomes. This preregistered systematic review and meta-analysis therefore aims to provide a more precise answer regarding the impact of social media abstinence on well-being. The databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Communication Source, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar were searched for studies examining the effect of social media abstinence on three outcomes, namely positive affect, negative affect, and/or life satisfaction. In total, ten studies (N = 4674) were included, allowing an examination of 38 effect sizes across these three outcomes. The analyses revealed no significant effects of social media abstinence interventions on positive affect, negative affect, or life satisfaction. Relationships between social media abstinence duration and the three outcomes were also non-significant. The findings thus suggest that temporarily stepping away from social media may not be the most optimal approach to enhance individual well-being, emphasizing the need for further research on alternative disconnection strategies. Nevertheless, important methodological differences between studies should be considered when interpreting these results.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY-NC-ND).
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