SCROLL LESS, CONNECT & THRIVE MORE

How to use social media more mindfully to foster genuine connections and improve well-being

We all know using social media is considered bad for you. A high social media diet is linked to anxiety, depression, and FOMO (the fear of missing out). Even internal research data from Meta, the company behind Instagram and Facebook, agrees.

However, over the last decade, social media has become woven into the fabric of our daily lives. It's hard to imagine life without it.

Young adults are especially vulnerable: 80% of young adults use social media daily, spending close to three hours per day on it. For many, scrolling social media is the first thing they do when they wake up and the last thing before they go to bed.

On the plus side, social media can also help people connect with friends and family. This is especially true for people with marginalized or stigmatized identities; social media can help them find a community of similar others, who may live far away.

So what should we do? Is the only answer for us to quit social media altogether? Or is it possible for us to learn how to use social media in smarter ways?