Evangelical Lutheran Church Launches 10-Day Digital Birth Challenge to Combat Social Media's Mental Health Impact
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saxony, through one of its subordinate organizations, has launched the 10-day Digital Birth Challenge on Instagram. This initiative encourages participants to take a break from social media to unwind and address potentially harmful habits.
Research has shown the impact of excessive social media use on mental health. A 2015 U.K. study found children were twice as likely to report high mental ill-health scores if they used social networking sites for 3 hours or more on a school day. Similarly, a 2018 study linked reduced social media usage with improvements in depression and loneliness. A 2022 cross-national survey confirmed these findings, showing increased daily social media time correlated with poorer overall mental health.
The challenge aims to raise awareness about these effects. It provides interactive journal prompts, digital boundary-setting tips, and social media truths to help users understand their behavior. Participants are encouraged to set healthy boundaries, such as unfollowing negative accounts and deleting negative messages. They are also advised to engage in alternative activities like walking, reading, or calling a friend instead of logging onto their social accounts.
The 10-Day Digital Disconnect Challenge, organized by Healthline and Psych Central, shares similar goals. It seeks to help users create a healthy relationship with social media.
The 10-day Digital Birth Challenge offers a chance to pause and reflect on our social media habits. With research backing the positive effects of a digital detox, this challenge could be a step towards better mental well-being for participants.
