Is Social Media Quietly Making You Sick?

Can We Talk About Social Media and Your Health?

For many of you, I think it’s a bigger problem than you realise, and it may be responsible for quietly driving you mad.

The average person now spends 2 - 4 hours per day scrolling, and contributes to an estimated 500,000+ comments every minute. That’s around 11 years of your life spent feeding an algorithm that sees you as nothing more than data.

There are two things you cannot get back once they’re gone: time and energy.

And the brutal truth is, for many people, social media has completely taken over. It goes on your daily walks. It sits at the dinner table. It comes with you to the toilet. It follows you to bed until the moment you turn off the lamp. Every precious and private moment has become “content.”

We were sold the illusion that social media would connect us, build communities, and spark meaningful conversations. But that’s not what it was designed to do.

These Platforms Were Built To Exploit Your Attention, Emotions, and Behaviour; Not Nurture Connection.

A System Built for Exploitation, Not Connection

The algorithm doesn’t prioritise truth or unity. It amplifies outrage, rewards conflict, and keeps you scrolling in a dopamine-fuelled loop of comparison, judgement, and reaction.

What looks like connection is often just monetised distraction. The system rewards one thing: engagement. That’s it.

People purposely post triggering content because your attention is the currency. Engagement = dollars. Outrage, shock, and controversy are just tools. The algorithm doesn’t care whether you’re clapping or arguing, it only sees activity.

Negative or Positive? Irrelevant. If It Hooks You, It Profits.

Divide and Conquer: The New Normal

Social media was supposed to make us feel less isolated. More connected. But instead, we’re witnessing the opposite.

Have you looked at a comment section lately? It’s a battlefield of hatred, anger, judgement, and a low-frequency chaos that is literally making people sick. And let’s be honest: most of what’s said in those threads would never be said to someone’s face. Gutless keyboard warriors are fuelling the fire.

This is part of a bigger agenda to divide and conquer. They got you hooked, and now they’re using your addiction to separate you from fellow humans by turning every topic into a battleground.

• Vax vs anti-vax
• Gay vs straight
• Left vs right
• Carnivore vs vegan
• Love Trump vs Hate Trump

It doesn’t matter what side you’re on. What matters is that you pick one and defend it like your life depends on it. Because the more divided we are, the more engaged we become.

The More We Fight, The Less We Question The System Profiting From The Chaos.

And the most insane part? Nobody ever stops to ask who they’re even talking to. You’re picturing a rational human being. But you’re probably arguing with a burner account, a troll, a bot, or someone so lost in the system they’ve forgotten how to connect.

Social Media’s Impact On Our Kids

Let’s not forget the damage it’s doing to our children. Social media has created a warped illusion of how life is supposed to look. It sets the standard for beauty and success based on filtered perfection and performance. It convinces people, especially young people, that real life isn’t enough.

And here we are, our kids are using iPads at the table, but at least they’re quiet so the parents can scroll through dinner. And nobody seems to care?

It's Digital Chaos With You and Your Kids At The Centre.  

6 Ways You Can Regain Control

Ditch all devices from the table. Meal times are sacred. Chew your food consciously. Open up conversations about your day. Give thanks for the food in front of you.

Turn on the Daily Limit. Instagram and Facebook both have this tool. Use it. When your limit is up, put the phone down. Reclaim control of your time.

Stop doom-scrolling before bed. Why is the last thing you absorb each day a feed of fear, drama, and people arguing? No wonder you're restless, anxious, and wired. Your mind craves stillness, not stimulation.

Before you comment, ask yourself these questions. What difference will my comment actually make? Am I adding value, offering perspective, or just beating my chest to feel right? Not every opinion needs airtime. Sometimes the real flex is having the discipline to say nothing.

Remember, not every disagreement deserves your time. Turning every difference of opinion into a battle leads to burnout and distraction.

And finally, that very same time you're wasting arguing with strangers online? That’s the same time you claim you don’t have. The time you say you don’t have for the gym, for a walk, for journaling, for a bath, for prepping your meals. Yep—that time. 

If You Traded Even Half That Wasted Time For Just One Habit That Actually Nourishes You, Your Life Would Look Completely Different.

It’s Not The Tool. It’s How We Use It

The internet can still be a place for connection, inspiration, and growth. When used well, it can bring people together, spark ideas, build movements, and breathe hope into the heavy parts of life.

It’s not the tool, it’s how we use it. And I hope I’ve encouraged you to reflect on the energy you invest each day.

Where You Invest Your Time and Energy Has Always Been, and Will Always Be, Your Responsibility.

You don’t get to complain about being overwhelmed if you keep handing your precious attention over to things that don’t serve you.