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Why Social Media Makes People Unhappy – And Simple Ways to Fix It
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Why Social Media Makes People Unhappy – And Simple Ways to Fix It

Research suggests platform designs make us lose track of time spent on them and can heighten conflicts, and then we feel upset with ourselves

Daisy Yuhas
Scientific American, 2022
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Scientific American columnist Daisy Yuhas interviewed University of Washington graduate student Amanda Baughan, who specializes in human-computer interaction, about people’s growing resentment toward endlessly scrolling through social media posts. Her project explored how apps trigger the “dissociation” she describes as “reduced self-reflection and narrowed attention” rather than addiction. Baughan thinks smarter apps could help users organize content and waste less time on platforms.

Take-Aways

  • Changes to social media app design could improve users’ well-being and interactions with each other.
  • Amanda Baughan argues that social media overuse should be described as “dissociation” rather than addiction.
  • Baughan’s team created a custom app called “Chirp” to measure social media dissociation.

About the Author

Daisy Yuhas edits the Scientific American column “Mind Matters.” She is a freelance science journalist and editor based in Austin, Texas.

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