Quitting Facebook And Instagram May Improve Mood, Major Study Finds

A large international study found that users who temporarily deactivated Facebook or Instagram reported better emotional well-being, with stronger effects seen in some age groups.

If social media leaves you feeling drained, anxious or low, new research suggests taking a break may genuinely help.

A large working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) found that people who deactivated Facebook or Instagram for several weeks reported measurable improvements in mood and emotional well-being.

The study, titled The Effect of Deactivating Facebook and Instagram on Users’ Emotional State, was conducted by researchers from leading institutions including Stanford, Princeton and MIT in collaboration with Meta.

Researchers ran two large randomised trials before the 2020 US presidential election. Nearly 19,857 Facebook users and 15,585 Instagram users took part. All participants used the platforms for at least 15 minutes daily.

Participants were divided into two groups. One group was paid to deactivate accounts for six weeks, while the comparison group stayed off for a shorter period. Researchers then surveyed users on feelings of happiness, anxiety and depression.

Those who stayed off Facebook for six weeks showed a 0.060 standard deviation improvement in emotional state. Instagram users recorded a 0.041 improvement.

Researchers estimated this effect was similar to about 3.8% more people saying they felt happy “often” instead of only “sometimes.”

The benefits were not equal across all users. Facebook’s positive effect appeared stronger among people aged over 35. Instagram’s strongest gains were seen among younger women.

Women aged 18 to 24 who paused Instagram showed one of the biggest emotional improvements in the study.

Interestingly, quitting the apps did not always mean spending less time on phones. Many users simply shifted attention to other apps instead.

Researchers said this suggests the benefit may come less from reduced screen time and more from avoiding certain platform-specific content, social comparison, conflict, or emotionally exhausting interactions.

Mental health experts often note that endless scrolling, curated lifestyles, negative comment culture and constant comparison can affect self-esteem and stress levels for some users.

For users who feel overwhelmed, a temporary pause, app limits, muted feeds or more mindful usage may offer benefits without fully disconnecting.

The findings add to growing evidence that how people use social media may matter as much as how much they use it.

Disclaimer: Emotional health outcomes vary by person. This study shows group-level trends and does not replace personalised mental health advice or treatment.