In a California courtroom, a 20-year-old woman told jurors how social media had gradually taken control of her life. It all started when she was a child: as she grew up, the hours spent online increased, until they took up all her nights and seriously eroded her sleep.
Each attempt to break up results in an ever-increasing relapse. Over time, his discomfort worsens: anxiety, depression, obsession with his appearance. “I wanted to be there permanently”she testified, before the jury ordered Meta and YouTube to pay her $6 million (5 million euros) in damages.
This resounding verdict, pronounced at the end of March in California and relayed by the Washington Post, was followed by another similar case in New Mexico. These two cases mark a turning point. For the first time in the United States, two Silicon Valley giants are officially found responsible for the psychological effects of their products, accused of being designed to make their users addicted, like tobacco or gambling.
The American courts thus confirm what science is beginning to demonstrate. Researchers are establishing a growing link between intensive use of social networks and a deterioration in mental health: reduced concentration, memory problems, impaired attention span… Almost all of us have already experienced these insidious changes. Some studies even estimate that the cognitive effects of this overexposure are equivalent to accelerated aging of the brain.
The research, however, provides a message of hope: the damage appears reversible. A simple and natural solution, taking a digital break, can be enough to restore balance. On average, an American spends nearly five hours a day on their phone, the same for the French. Even going down to two or three hours a day, that represents up to a month and a half per year spent scrolling rather than doing anything else (reading, going out, playing sports, talking to loved ones or even petting your cat).
Effective digital fasting
A study published in PNAS Nexus, carried out among 467 volunteers, tested the impact of a two-week digital fast: participants used a connection blocking application, only retaining calls and SMS. Their time online was cut in half and the effects were spectacular. Sustained attention, mental health and subjective well-being improved significantly.
Kostadin Kushlev, of Georgetown University in Washington, notes that even those who broke the rules and returned to TikTok or Instagram during the experiment enjoyed lasting benefits. “It is not necessary to refrain from all use, even a short break can help”he specifies. Smartphone users appear more vulnerable than those who connect from a computer, because mobile use is judged “compulsive and unconscious”: we consult our screen while walking, watching a film or in the middle of a conversation, reducing the emotional quality of the experience.
A vast international study, led by Steven Rathje at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh and funded by the National Science Foundation, is underway: it brings together more than 8,000 volunteers in 23 countries, invited to limit each of the major networks (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X) to five minutes per day for two weeks. The first results are expected in early 2027 and should clarify a phenomenon already observed: Western countries seem more affected by the psychological effects of the smartphone.
For Steven Rathje, this contrast could be cultural: in individualistic and ultra-competitive societies, where success and personal image take precedence, the stress induced by numerical comparison is amplified – although admitting that the mystery remains unsolved.
