Reducing social media use decreases loneliness regardless of gender or level of social comparisons in youth with anxiety and depression: A randomized controlled trial

Key Points

• Loneliness significantly decreases after reducing social media use, especially in youth with anxiety and depression.
• The randomized controlled trial included various gender and social comparison levels, affirming effect consistency.
• Participants reported lower loneliness scores after a set reduction in social media usage over a defined period.
• The findings highlight the potential benefit of limiting social media for mental health improvement in youth populations.