This ‘digital detox’ period took place from Wednesday 16th to Monday 21st January. Sometimes referred to as Blue Monday, it is commonly believed to be the most depressing day of the year due to the time of both week and year.

The University operates nine different social media accounts,  used to keep current students updated and recruit prospective students, but all accounts remained silent during the 6-day period.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dominic Shellard said: ‘In conversations I’ve had with students, I’ve been really struck by the degree to which their over-engagement on social media is having a negative impact on their mental health.’

In a survey of 96 University of Birmingham (UoB) students conducted by Redbrick, all students agreed that social media is in some way damaging to our mental health. Just under half (49%) believed it can be damaging but depends on the circumstances of the individual, and a further 46% believe social media usage to be generally damaging.

According to The Independent, there are six ways in which social media is damaging to our mental health. The problems identified are: decreased self-esteem, reduced human connection, effects to our memory of an event due to an obsession with getting the perfect shot, poor-quality sleep, reduced attention span and, for those who already struggle with mental health problems, heightened anxiety and depression.

Redbrick spoke with Eve Coffey, one of the UoB bloggers who frequently use social media as part of her ambassador work. She suggested that social media be ‘taken with a pinch of salt.’ Eve explained that ‘we tend to project all the good bits and leave out the bad, which is damaging our perceptions of normal life dramatically.’

Coffey advised students to follow positive accounts that inspire them, as this can be a really celebratory use of social media. She explained that it is also important to unfollow those that make you feel down. She also recommended using phone settings to restrict the amount of time that can be spent on certain apps as well as having a few days completely free from social media every once in a while.