Phones Down, Heads Up! Investigating the Impact of a Social Media Detox on Social Anxiety and Phubbing

Abstract

The rise of smartphones and social media has changed the way people interact with each other, leading to new behaviors like phubbing, referring to the ignoring of someone by looking on your phone in social settings. This study investigated if a one-week social media detox has an effect on social anxiety and phubbing among young adults. Previous research has found that excessive social media use is associated with social anxiety and phubbing, but little was known about whether a social media detox can reduce these effects. Using a randomized controlled pretest-posttest design, 65 participants aged 18 to 25 years old were assigned to either the experimental group or the control group. Participants in the experimental group were asked to take a break from social media for seven days. Social anxiety and phubbing were measured before and after the intervention using validated self-report questionnaires. The results showed no significant effect of the detox on social anxiety. However, participants in the detox group showed a significant reduction in phubbing behaviour compared to the control group. Furthermore, the results showed that the detox indirectly led to lower social anxiety levels through a reduction in phubbing. However, baseline levels of phubbing did not significantly influence the effects of the detox on social anxiety. These findings suggest that taking a short break from social media may not directly reduce social anxiety but can lead to behavioral changes that are linked to social discomfort. Reducing phone use in social settings may help individuals become more present. Further research could explore combining a detox with strategies to raise awareness of phone habits and to promote face-to-face interaction.