THE FUSE

You're not alone if you feel mentally off after eyeballing yet another social media influencer’s dream vacation content or their impressive party spread they effortlessly whipped up. But while scrolling through TikTok or Instagram is an easy way to pass the time when you’re stuck in line or flat-out bored, a growing body of research suggests—what many of us already intuitively know: It’s not great for your mental health. Now, a new study spells out clear benefits from taking a break—and suggests you can see an uptick in your mood in as little as a week.