Why Social Media Makes You Unhappy The Psychology Behind the Scroll and How to Protect Yourself
You open Instagram feeling fine. Twenty minutes later you close it feeling vaguely inadequate, slightly restless, and irritated at nothing in particular. You can't entirely explain why. You didn't even see anything terrible. But something shifted. This experience is nearly universal, and it has been documented in hundreds of research studies. Social media, particularly passive scrolling, is reliably associated with decreased wellbeing, increased anxiety, social comparison, and reduced life satisfaction. Here's why — and what you can do about it.…

