Do Social Media Blockers Actually Boost Productivity?

“Especially with heavy social media users, we found that it’s better to slowly ramp up the block intensity over a week or two weeks, just to get them used to it and slowly wean them off social media,” Chan says. “Social media addiction is a kind of addiction. Although it’s not substance-based, it creates the same kind of dependency in people’s minds.”

The takeaway for companies, Chan says, is that gradually and partially blocking employees’ social media can help boost productivity, but a full block will likely backfire. Even if the full block is coming from an app the employee can’t bypass or delete, their social media withdrawal symptoms will distract them. “The mind needs some time to just unwind, so even if they’re not on social media, they are not always productive,” Chan says.

Software developers could use this research to create social media block apps that offer more options for partial blocks and are more easily tailored to people’s habits, Chan adds.
Individuals can also apply the research to their own habits, informing how they may want to taper off their own social media use.

“Anybody could utilize these strategies,” Chan says. “If they fully block themselves cold turkey, we show that it’s just not helpful. Especially if they are heavy social media users, they should maybe see if they can try to slowly ramp up the blocking with the tools that they have.”