You Are What You Click

August 16, 2021
Behavioral scientist Primack debuts with a convincing guide on how to build a better relationship with social media, making a strong case that social media leads to depression, anxiety, and loneliness—and offering positive advice on how to change. Comparisons to food abound, such as creating a social media food pyramid (based on being first creative, then positive, and finally selective in how one posts) and the pitfalls of “yo-yo tech dieting” (which creates “frustration and guilt” instead of healthy and achievable parameters). Recommendations include exclusively following people who are friends IRL, only using platforms that correspond to one’s interests, turning off notifications, and only posting about a limited number of topics. An explanation about how mining user data for advertising is particularly alarming: “It can feel disconcerting to recognize how much of a permanent record exists with our purchasing, browsing, and clicking patterns.” Though some of the advice is too cheesy to imagine actually doing—such as throwing an “appy hour” party where everyone explores their app settings—the suggestion to “be positive, be selective, and be creative” makes cutting out or cutting down on one’s social media usage feel doable. This hits the sweet spot, offering small steps to empower readers while breezily educating on how social media influences their health.