Social Media Anxiety

I will not mince my words — social media is causing me anxiety.

For those who don’t know, I’ve been deeply involved in text-based social media platforms for over a decade. I have been addicted to Twitter, and after Elon took over, I started using Mastodon, Threads, and Bluesky as well. I check these apps hundreds of times a day. I’m so hooked that the idea of not checking them makes me anxious. But ironically, checking them also makes me anxious.

I follow a wide range of people with vastly different opinions. These platforms rely on algorithmic feeds, constantly showing posts from people I don’t follow, flooding me with opinions I never asked for. I often end up reading things that leave me unsettled.

Text-based social media is a toxic space. It amplifies the most vile and negative aspects of people, normalizing insults, dunking, and bullying as forms of discourse.

I’ve realized that consuming polarized opinions every day for years is damaging. In an attempt to stay balanced, I read arguments from all sides. But over time, this has eroded my internal compass and confidence. When every opinion I hold is met with a counterargument, it creates a sense of inadequacy. Gradually, I start questioning everything I feel, which is a significant source of anxiety.

No matter how rational we try to be, as humans, we crave acceptance and belonging. The world is deeply divided right now, and I find myself stuck in the middle, absorbing perspectives from both extremes. The sheer hostility between opposing sides is exhausting. Reasonable beliefs of both sides being ridiculed or vilified, only intensifies my anxiety.

Social media was meant to connect us, but more often than not, it leaves me feeling lost, anxious, and uncertain.