Turning off social media notifications temporarily or long-term may help reduce problematic social media use. In certain cases and for some users, changes in their web browsing environments can be helpful in compensating for self-regulatory problems. For instance, a study involving 157 online learners on massive open online courses examined the impact of self-regulatory intervention on learners’ web browsing behavior. The results showed that, on average, learners spend half of their time online on YouTube and social media, and Less than 2% of visited websites account for nearly 80% of their time spent online. Further, the study found that modifying the learners' web environment, specifically by providing support in self-regulation, was associated with changes in behavior, including a reduction in time spent online, particularly on websites related to entertainment. This suggests there is a potential for interventions to improve self-regulatory skills, which may effectively help learners reduce excessive social media usage and manage their signs of social media misuse more effectively.
