In the wake of a particularly tumultuous election season and as many wait with trepidation to see how impactful events unfold, social media anxiety and headline stress are likely peaking for many that are not taking practical steps to preserve their mental health equilibrium. Clickbait media and jarring headlines are not only annoying, but they can be legitimately harmful to mental health, in particular for teens and young adults with growing minds and limited perspective. Don Grant, PhD., and 2022 President of the American Psychological Association, Division 46 (The Society for Media Psychology & Technology) comments on this alarming state of affairs in the American Psychological Association’s  (APA) article “Media overload is hurting our mental health. Here are ways to manage headline stress.”

Social media creates a hypercompetitive and constant barrage of media and advertisements from every possible direction. Many internet users have become victim to the concept of doomscrolling, essentially falling down the rabbit hole of negative, toxic content on social media in an obsessive way, seemingly unable to break out of that cycle and put down the phone. Everyone has anxiety pressure points that they naturally will pay more attention to when it comes across their feed, whether it be political strife, climate change concerns, racial injustice, gun control or the like.

The trouble is, social media algorithms will often feed more related content for that heightened concern when it probably would be healthier to take a breather and put a little distance between that concerning topic for a bit. It doesn’t help that the continuous feedback on any given stressor can contribute to a foreboding anxiety that is difficult to contain without setting personal guardrails. So, what can be done?

Social Media Control Tips

(Adapted from American Psychiatric Association’s article, “6 Tips to Help Take Control of Your Social Media Use and Improve Well-being”)

  • Install a social media tracker or use social media tracking tools already installed on your devices. Set a limit on overall use and/or time spent on a particular app.
  • Turn notifications off from all social media apps to minimize distractions and interruptions.
  • Consider a temporary or permanent closing down or downsizing of your social media profiles. See if there are any sites you should stop using regularly. How are they serving you? If you aren’t getting anything out of them, stop using them.
  • If necessary, an accountability partner can be helpful. Find a friend who also wants to work on limiting social media or who is willing to help you with this challenge. Check in periodically with one another to see how things are going; give each other grace and motivation to make it a positive experience.
  • Consider only using social media during designated times of the day or week.
  • Similarly, it can be helpful to designate specific times as ‘offline times’ during the day or week. If needed, plan alternate activities to fill that time.
  • When you need to take a break, have a social media free day or two as a way to unplug and relax.

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