Signs Social Media Is Impacting Your Mental Health

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Trolling for triggers

Even though you curate your follow list and friend certain people/accounts because you like what they generally post, you can never fully control what you’ll see when you log into social media. And some of that unpredictability might play on your psyche in unexpected ways. “Anxiety is a common theme in social media consumption. When someone feels anxious, they are quick to go to their phones to either look something up or even enter another reality,” Hussain says. “The anxiety one experiences can also stem from the constant investment of time on social media. Looking at one post can trigger things from the past, trauma, relationship concerns, and even guilt. This can heighten one’s anxiety and cause fear as well.”