Interesting mental health effects of reading negative comments online.

[Hazelcat]

This article is fascinating:

https://www.verywellmind.com/mental-health-effects-of-reading-negative-comments-online-5090287

Personally I use timers now for all of my social media, Youtube and non-work-related Internet surfing. I added a timer app to my web browser. Heavy use of screens has been linked to poor mental health in many studies.
I stopped reading any comments on news stories a while ago, after realizing that a lot of the comments (on different newscasts and different stations) are made by the same accounts and many are also bots.

I also recommend the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma. It explains among other things that many places on the Internet deliberately provoke outrage, because the human brain is wired to pay attention to threatening or negative stories/images, so these things get more "screen time" for advertisers.

[uni]

Thanks for sharing that great article Hazelcat. Like you, I have to set limits on time spent online (although I have yet to try a timer), especially social media. I try to be aware of what my eyes are telling me regarding screen fatigue, and my hands regarding keyboard or phone scrolling. I'm learning. Too much is not good in so many ways, as the article says.

[Hazelcat]

Thanks for sharing that great article Hazelcat. Like you, I have to set limits on time spent online (although I have yet to try a timer), especially social media. I try to be aware of what my eyes are telling me regarding screen fatigue, and my hands regarding keyboard or phone scrolling. I'm learning. Too much is not good in so many ways, as the article says.

Thanks Uni!

One particular part of the article made a huge impression on me, which is where the authors analyze who is posting comments, especially on general discussion forums and news sites, and note that people who are posting comments, especially negative or angry comments, do not represent the majority of people online. Sadly, it's often the angriest, most hostile or bigoted people who post the most comments - making it seem like their attitude is more common than it is.

Another thing people may not realize is that a lot of negative content is posted by bots. My brother told me about this. Malign people create bots that post thousands of negative comments (especially about politicians, celebrities, or slurs against marginalized racial or gender groups) simply to sow hate and division for their own ends.

I don't always log off when my timer goes off (sometimes I re-set it) but I do find it a useful tool. There are also features on sites like YouTube where you can look at your screen time, set break reminders and bedtime reminders. I at least force myself to look away and take some breaths and consider if I want to keep watching.

[uni]

It's far too easy to sit at a keyboard behind a fake name and spew a bunch of hateful stuff. Bots are another whole level of harmful activity. I'm glad these things are being acknowledged and studied and looked into. I think it has taken a while for society in general to recognize this stuff has power. Being aware is half the battle!