I think the laundry list of "things quitting gives you" is massively overblown. I know people whose use of social media puts them in a competitive mindset that helps them get to work that day and put their face and clothes on nice in the morning. It's a major part of their success and happiness. I know other people without it who are depressed degenerates that don't know very many people.
As far as the individual is concerned, large studies on the effects of quitting are pretty much meaningless. It depends entirely on your context and relationship with it, and how much your social life hinges on events primarily organised on FB/Messenger et al. I quit about 5 years ago, and missed out on a ton of casual, ad-hoc events. And yes, they were "real", if mostly circumstantial - but still important - friends.
For me, these are the things which I think aren't so context-dependent when it comes to these good/bad/unhealthy discussions:
Issue A is the addiction pattern - "the scrollies" - being unable to tear your thumb (and eyes) away.
Issue B is losing your own take and knowing what your own take requires - I now do my best not to read other people's words in my usual reading voice, although it's not easy. Particularly with toxic/pseudonymous sites, you're often eating where someone else is shitting. You take on opinions without knowledge and viewpoints without experience.
Getting off social media doesn't do shit. Fixing why you are vulnerable to the issues we all know about does. Sometimes you need to get off SM to fix it. Sometimes you don't. Let's not turn this into some kind of religious rite of transition.
As far as the individual is concerned, large studies on the effects of quitting are pretty much meaningless. It depends entirely on your context and relationship with it, and how much your social life hinges on events primarily organised on FB/Messenger et al. I quit about 5 years ago, and missed out on a ton of casual, ad-hoc events. And yes, they were "real", if mostly circumstantial - but still important - friends.
For me, these are the things which I think aren't so context-dependent when it comes to these good/bad/unhealthy discussions:
Issue A is the addiction pattern - "the scrollies" - being unable to tear your thumb (and eyes) away.
Issue B is losing your own take and knowing what your own take requires - I now do my best not to read other people's words in my usual reading voice, although it's not easy. Particularly with toxic/pseudonymous sites, you're often eating where someone else is shitting. You take on opinions without knowledge and viewpoints without experience.
Getting off social media doesn't do shit. Fixing why you are vulnerable to the issues we all know about does. Sometimes you need to get off SM to fix it. Sometimes you don't. Let's not turn this into some kind of religious rite of transition.