For two weeks, 20 minutes less time per day on Facebook To a invited this Experiment, researchers from Bonn nearly 140 test persons. The participation was rewarded; Afterwards they moved more, smoked less and were more satisfied. The positive effects were felt three months later.
People who had reduced their time in the social network, took advantage of the platform in both the active and passive less. "This is important, because especially the passive use means to compare themselves with others, and thus to envy and a reduction of the mental Wohlbefindens", study leader Dr Julia Brailovskaia of the Ruhr-University in Bochum says. In addition, they smoked less cigarettes than before, were physically more, their satisfaction is increased and they showed less depressive symptoms.
Positive effects to keep
The research team won for the study, 286 people, the Facebook used, on average, at least 25 minutes a day. The average duration of use per day was just over an hour. A half used Facebook more as always, the other group reduced their use for two weeks to 20 minutes a day. Prior to the start of the study, after one week, at the end of the two-week experiment, one month and three months later, all the participants were on the basis of Online questionnaires tested. The positive effects remained after the two-week Facebook-the reduction until the last examination date three months after the Experiment get.
Complete renunciation is not nötig
The bottom line is that the researchers see in these findings an indication that less time is sufficient on a daily basis in social networks already, to prevent addictive behaviour, to increase the well-being and to support a healthier lifestyle. "A total renunciation of the use of the platform is not nötig", Brailovskaia says.
NK