She soon began spending five or six hours a day mindlessly scrolling and says her mental health and well-being deteriorated. Lembke recalls quantifying her worth by tracking likes, comments, and followers, and taking down posts that didn't perform well enough. "It felt as though I was honestly addicted," she says. "When I heard the buzz of a notification, I had that instant Pavlovian response to grab my phone. I finally asked, What am I doing?"
Many of us get lost in social media. Some data indicate that worldwide, the average adult spends more than 2.5 hours per day immersed in social apps. All that scrolling can take a toll: excessive social media use is linked with loneliness, depressive symptoms, poor self-esteem, and decreased life satisfaction. "A lot of times we're not even aware of how we're using it," says Jacqueline Nesi, a psychologist who studies social media's role in adolescents' mental health, "so taking the time to be a little more mindful and to think about what's working, and what's not, is really important."
This story is from the February 12, 2024 edition of Time.
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This story is from the February 12, 2024 edition of Time.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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