You’re an addict, but you just don’t know it yet.
This month, BBC Future is exploring social media’s impact on mental health and well-being, and you can bet those stories are going to push a few buttons.
Ever caught yourself scrolling through social media whilst at a robot? Ever felt shitty because your picture didn’t quite rack up the likes you thought it would?
Oh dear – you might just have a serious problem on your hands.
We’ll tee this one up from the BBC story:
Social media addiction has been a much-flouted term lately; maybe it’s because it’s January and users are looking to be more active and spend less time online, or maybe that’s because social media can have a negative impact on our mental well-being. But a growing body of research is seriously considering whether problematic and excessive social media usage could be pathological and, in turn, designated as a mental health disorder.
To the video we go:
Think you spend a lot of time on social media? Then you better watch this… #LikeMinded pic.twitter.com/9DPFIpMdC2
— BBC Future (@BBC_Future) January 19, 2018
Step back from the screen.
Pat a dog. Stroke a cat. Hug a friend. Shame a neighbour for watering their garden. Stop posting crummy travel quotes to Instagram and using the hashtag #wanderlust.
And be warned, influencers, not everyone is a big fan.
[source:bbcfuture]
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