Disconnecting: Calls to reduce social media use in the UK

As scientists warn that social media use can cause health concerns, campaigners ask Britons to put down their phones and reassess the impact all that checking, posting and updating has on their lives.

A charity in Britain is urging people to give up using social media for a month, or at least cut down on its use.

The Royal Society for Public Health says while the platforms can help many of us feel connected, it can sometimes cause anxiety and depression.

But social media use can also lead to compulsive behaviour and giving it up, even for a short period, may be more than some Britons can handle.

Al Jazeera’s Emma Hayward reports.

By Emma Hayward