Researchers blocked the internet access of participants' phones for two weeks, producing an astounding boost to their mental health.

A specialized iPhone app was used to block internet access, recording any time that the feature was disabled.

In numbers, nearly all the participants — 91 percent — improved on at least one of the three outcomes, while around three-quarters reported better mental health by the end.

The findings even suggest that the intervention had a stronger effect on depression symptoms than antidepressants, and was roughly on par with cognitive behavioral therapy.

What’s driving all this? Ward suggests that the simplest explanation is that the experiment forced participants to spend more time doing fulfilling things in the real world.

    • LovableSidekick@lemmy.worldEnglish
      11·
      2 days ago

      I often feel like I don’t have time for my many hobbies, then I realize I’ve just spent 3 hours on lemmy or reddit.

        • LovableSidekick@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          16 hours ago

          OTOH my friend and I spent most of the weekend making this for his new apartment. The opening fits his little TV, so when he isn’t watching a show he can play fire videos on it.

            • LovableSidekick@lemmy.worldEnglish
              2·
              16 hours ago

              It’s rectangles of 2-inch solid foam insulation glued onto a plywood frame. We carved the stones with knives and smoothed the edges with the side of a soldering iron. Then we pressed the surface of a big rock all over it for texture, and painted it with mod podge to seal it. Next will paint it gray and do some dry-brushing with black, brown and rust to give the rocks some variety. The “mantle” on top is an already varnished pine board salvaged from built-in bunk beds I made for my kids back in the day.

              • techt@lemmy.worldEnglish
                1·
                16 hours ago

                Very resourceful, I love it. If you remember, I’d be interested in seeing the finished product, but either way I hope it turns out great! Nice job making the time for something like this!

        • I Cast Fist@programming.devEnglish
          3·
          21 hours ago

          We need to get off the internet. Or at least off lemmy. Probably better to get off the internet more often, otherwise we’ll just find something else :/