Diary Of An Overthinker: Entry 005

Social Media, Health Labels & To Want Is To Lack

Hello Reader,

Welcome to another entry from the Diary of an Overthinker. If you’re a new subscriber, I encourage you to visit the first entry so you know what to expect, as well as to read a disclaimer about my writing. Not reading the first entry could lead to misconceptions and misunderstandings that I would prefer to avoid, so it would be greatly appreciated if you started with my first entry.

Link to Entry 001:
https://stephietait.substack.com/p/diary-of-an-overthinker?r=43h2ij

I am an overthinker, and this is my way of sifting through my thoughts to find clarity in life so I can be the best version of myself over time—and you get to read all of it.

Let’s get into it.

Photo by Rodion Kutsaiev

Grabbing Social Media by the Reins

Social media is a beast that has me well-trained. This year, one of my biggest personal goals is to take control of my social media usage. In the time it’s taken me to write up to this section, I’ve already reached for my phone five times. While I’ve managed to resist opening any apps, the long-term effects of social media use are becoming increasingly clear—they’re taking a toll on my mental health, my nervous system, and even my physical habits.

For years, I read about the psychological effects of social media addiction, believing it was just the knowledge I’d gained and not something that applied to me. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The deeper I delved into its impacts, the more I began to recognize just how tightly it had its grip on me. It’s unsettling how easily social media can morph into an unhealthy, toxic habit without you even realizing it—until it’s already taken root and feels nearly impossible to shake.

I’ve learned that the addiction to social media is directly designed into the platforms, leveraging psychological principles to capture attention and encourage repetitive engagement. These are some things I’ve learned that tend to be true for me and are some of the things I will be fighting to rewire: