If you want to tune out and relax after a long day, you might turn to social media, online shopping, or playing games on your phone. But a new study suggests that these activities might actually stress you out more.
Research published recently in the journal PLOS One finds that “problematic” internet users are more stressed, have lower moods, and are tempted to use the internet more than others. Researchers define problematic internet usage as causing significant distress or leading to “neglecting important areas of life like relationships or work.”
But are people using the internet more because they’re grumpier, or are they grumpier because they’re online more?
“It seems like we have a vicious circle,” said Andreas Oelker, a PhD student in psychology at the University of Duisburg-Essen and one of the authors of the study, which was conducted in Germany. “If you’re in a bad mood, you try to lift your mood by using the internet, but it doesn’t help very much. So you use it more and more and more.”
Why we turn to the internet for stress relief
The internet is full of temptations, and apps are designed to keep our attention. A Washington Post analysis showed how TikTok hooks its users by delivering an endless stream of personalized video clips. Some of those videos may be entertaining or informative, but users often spend many more hours a day on the app than they would like. And it’s hard to stop because there’s always more content.
“You might have the expectation that you get a better mood if you watch funny videos or whatever. And that actually helps in the short run,” said Silke Müller, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Duisburg-Essen and co-author of the study.
The problem, she said, is there are many other things on social media besides funny videos. You’re likely to also encounter stressful news or posts from acquaintances that lead to painful social comparison.
Sometimes you might feel relief after looking at your phone, and other times you might feel worse. Researchers also noted that the more time you spend online, the more opportunities you miss for activities like sleep, hobbies, socializing, or work.
In the study, the researchers interviewed 900 people about their online habits when it came to gaming, watching pornography, shopping, and looking at social media. Their internet use was classified as “nonproblematic,” “risky,” or “pathological.” Those who spent so much time online that they neglected their relationships or other activities had trouble controlling their behavior or kept doing it despite negative consequences were considered to be problematic users.
Then, over the next 14 days, participants answered surveys every evening about their day, their mood, stress levels, and time online. Nonproblematic users might spend an hour on a social media app or an online gaming site, while problem users could spend two to four hours or even more. But the researchers emphasized that the time spent online wasn’t necessarily a problem if the person felt in control of their behavior and it wasn’t causing them to neglect other activities.
The researchers found that problematic users had lower moods and that their internet use led to neglecting other activities like work, studies, or even hygiene.
One limitation of the study is that it relied on self-reported data, which required people to accurately remember how they felt throughout the day and how they used the internet.
Another notable takeaway is that researchers found the temptation to look at the internet was more powerful than the pleasure gained from time spent online. Sometimes it made people feel better and at other times worse.
“I wouldn’t recommend that this is the best activity to do to lift the mood,” Oelker said.
Why it’s hard to stay offline
Part of what makes online games and social media compelling is that the rewards are inconsistent. Sometimes you win (you see a funny video maybe). Sometimes you don’t (you end up doomscrolling, or seeing images that make you feel worse).
“Uncertainty is exciting,” said Ayelet Fishbach, a behavioral science professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. In her research, she and her colleagues have found that people find uncertain rewards more motivating. Even though we generally don’t like uncertainty, we want to see the resolution.
In games, uncertainty is part of the appeal. Social media has uncertainty built in, too, and it capitalizes on our human need to be social.
“There’s fear of missing out. And there are no cues to stop,” Fishbach said. “Social media is just designed to get us addicted with every feature that is on the screen.”
If you want to cut back on your internet use
Fishbach and the researchers on the new study noted that there are effective strategies to try if you want to spend less time online.
Think about what you’d like to do instead. If you’re spending three or four hours a day on social media or playing online games, decide what you’d rather do with that time. Make a plan to have dinner with a friend or take an exercise class or watch a movie you’ve been meaning to see. Moving toward something you want will be more motivating than just trying not to be on your phone.
Put distance between you and your device. Literally. Fishbach said we underestimate how much our environment affects our behavior.
“Checking the phone that’s already on your desk is much more likely than checking the phone that’s in your purse,” Fishbach said. “If the phone is in another room, the cost of going there just increases dramatically than if it’s in my pocket.”
Try deleting apps or using an app blocker. There are more tools than ever to help people who want to be online less. Some apps require you to input a reason you need to open a locked app. Any excuse will work, but the point is to slow down the automatic temptation to check social media when you’re bored and force yourself to consciously decide whether you want to use it. Other devices, like the Brick, can be used to block yourself from accessing certain apps on your phone.
“If you don’t have a problem, it’s just a recreational activity you can do like any other hobby and you might enjoy it,” Oelker said. “But if you have problematic use and neglect other activities, you might reconsider.”
