Washington - If you pull out your phone to check Twitter
while waiting for the light to change, or read e-mails while brushing your
teeth, you might be what the American Psychological Association calls a
“constant checker.” And chances are, it’s hurting your mental health.
Last week, the APA released a study finding that
Americans were experiencing the first statistically significant stress increase
in the survey’s 10-year history. In January, 57 percent of respondents of all
political stripes said the U.S. political climate was a very or somewhat
significant source of stress, up from 52 percent who said the same thing in
August. On Thursday, the APA released the second part of its findings, “Stress
In America: Coping With Change,” examining the role technology and social media
play in American stress levels.
Social media use has skyrocketed from 7 percent of
American adults in 2005 to 65 percent in 2015. For those in the 18-29 age
range, the increase is larger, from 12 percent to a remarkable 90 percent. But
while an increase in social media usage is hardly surprising, the number of
people who just can’t tear themselves away is stark: Nowadays, 43 percent of
Americans say they are checking their e-mails, texts, or social media accounts
constantly. And their stress levels are paying for it: On a 10-point scale,
constant checkers reported an average stress level of 5.3. For the rest of
Americans, the average level is a 4.4.
The highest stress levels, it should be noted, are
reserved for those who constantly check their work e-mail on days off.
Their average stress level is 6.0. So those of you who think it’s somehow
pleasant to work from home on a Saturday afternoon, you’re actually fooling
yourself. (Good news, there is certainly a way to fight burnout.)
About 42 percent of constant checkers specifically point
to political and cultural discussions as causing stress. And the impacts play
out in real life—35 percent of constant checkers say they are less likely to
spend time with family and friends because of social media.
If the first step toward recovery, however, is
admitting there is a problem, Americans are on their way. Some 65 percent
of respondents said “unplugging” or taking a “digital detox” is important. But
alas, knowing you have a problem is not the same as fixing it: Only 28 percent
of those Americans say they take their own advice.
For those looking to manage their social media
usage, Anthony L. Rostain, professor of psychiatry at the Hospital
of the University of Pennsylvania and co-author of The Adult ADHD
Tool Kit: Using CBT to Facilitate Coping Inside and Out, offers some suggestions:
Set guidelines for your social media time. Make
sure you complete the tasks you need to get done. Get the sleep you need. At
the end of the day, evaluate: “Did I do OK? Where did I slip up? Can I do
better tomorrow?” These are all important questions to ask yourself, Rostain
says. And he adds one final, crucial point: “Don’t [lie] in bed at all
hours with the screen in your face.”