Same here. Even very depressing news do not cause and endless circle of anxiety and scrolling, when you don’t have constant new enforcement in form of comments, I just get bored, switch off and take some distance - as we should. I already stopped using FB after 2016 when I noticed that instead of being better informed - like I felt I was - I was actually dumber and knew less what was going on. After that I have gradually quit forums, IG, reddit. Onlyone left is youtube, which I watch occasionally to watch some comedy. Ifeel better, more calm and I feel I am on the driver’s seat.

I think it is insane that we give these companies this much power and influence in our lives and societirs without them contributing almost nothing.

I have informally reproduced your study and reached the same conclusion.

Same. 9 months into quitting socials I feel like I got a new brain. I’m appreciating my surroundings and noticing the cadence of the day more than I have in years. I’ve been killing it at work and got a promotion. Just last year I had been thinking to myself that my mind had lost its sharpness since college. Now I feel like it’s noticeably expanding!

I will never ever ever ever go back. The perks of online connection were never worth the sacrifices.