Hooked, Scrolling, and Struggling: How Social Media Is Rewiring Our Minds
An excerpt from the books Thrive and Strong from Within by Kinya N. Gitonga
Let’s be real , we live online. From the moment we wake up, many of us reach for our phones before we even say “good morning” to ourselves. We check WhatsApp, scroll through Instagram, tap into TikTok. It’s fun. It’s addictive. And for a while, it feels harmless.
But under the surface, many young people are struggling silently as victims of the constant scroll. Behind the pretty pictures and curated captions lies a world that’s triggering anxiety, loneliness, body shame, and sleep deprivation.
In my book Thrive, I explore this modern crisis with one clear message: we were not created to compete with filters, fight for likes, or sleep next to our screens.
The Pressure of Perfection
Social media often sells us a dream life: glowing skin, perfect bodies, romantic dates, endless travel, soft life vibes. But what happens when our real lives don’t match that?
We start comparing our bodies to edited images.
We measure our worth by likes, comments, and followers.
We begin to feel like everyone is doing better than us.
It’s no surprise that body image issues are rising among teens and young adults. Young people especially girls are feeling less confident, more anxious, and deeply insecure. Even boys are not spared, with growing pressure around gym bodies, financial success, and social status.
When you’re constantly watching highlight reels, your own life can start to feel like a failure. This is what I call comparison fatigue. And it’s slowly wearing us out.
The Sleep We Sacrifice
We often say “just five more minutes” of scrolling — and suddenly it’s midnight. That blue light is interfering with our sleep hormones. The result is poor quality sleep, which in turn affects mood, memory, concentration, and even immunity.
Many students and young professionals report feeling exhausted even before the day begins, yet few connect it to their screen use.
Long-Term Impact: What We’re Not Talking About Enough
The danger isn’t just today’s tiredness or anxiety. Prolonged overuse of technology is shaping our mental, emotional, and social development.
Some of the long-term effects include:
The long-term impact of unregulated screen time and social media use is not just a passing concern — it’s shaping the way an entire generation thinks, feels, and connects. Internet addiction, for instance, is no longer rare. Many young people feel an uncontrollable urge to stay online, even when they’re not engaging in anything meaningful. This might look like endlessly refreshing Instagram, watching YouTube videos into the early hours, or feeling panicked without access to Wi-Fi. Over time, this compulsive behavior disrupts the brain’s reward system, shortening attention spans, weakening impulse control, and increasing dependency on external stimulation. The digital world starts to feel safer than the real one, leading to avoidance of important offline experiences like school, family bonding, or community participation. Many youths also report trouble concentrating, irritability when offline, and disrupted sleep; signs of a growing behavioral addiction.
The mental health toll of excessive digital exposure is deep and often invisible. Anxiety disorders are increasingly common among adolescents, especially those frequently exposed to idealized, filtered lives on social media. These platforms can make young people feel like they’re constantly behind — not pretty enough, not successful enough, not doing enough. This persistent comparison fuels self-doubt, restlessness, and fear of judgment, which in turn can result in social withdrawal, overthinking, or even panic attacks. For some, the constant noise of digital life prevents emotional regulation making it harder to cope with real-life stressors or setbacks. Depression, too, is a growing concern. Teenagers who spend more than three to five hours a day on screens are significantly more likely to experience symptoms like hopelessness, fatigue, low motivation, and even suicidal thoughts. These symptoms are often worsened by cyberbullying, online harassment, or the pressure to appear perfect online, while feeling lost offline. Emotional burnout once reserved for adults is now showing up in adolescents who feel stretched thin by the demands of digital life, academic pressure, and internalised inadequacy.
Social development is also taking a silent hit. Adolescents who grow up primarily communicating through screens often struggle with face-to-face interaction. They may avoid eye contact, feel anxious in real-life conversations, or rely heavily on emojis to express emotion, making it harder to build authentic, empathetic relationships. This lack of deep interpersonal connection leads to increased feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Without intentional intervention, these issues do not simply fade with age. Young people who grow up tethered to technology without guidance may enter adulthood carrying unresolved anxiety, social dysfunction, and low self-esteem.
So, What Can We Do?
This is not a call to delete all your apps or go off-grid. It’s an invitation to take control and use technology intentionally and mindfully.
These are some of the strategies I share with young people in Thrive:
1. Start your day without your phone
Before checking your notifications, pause. Stretch. Breathe. Take your tea slowly. Let your mind wake up before your screen does. As I say in the book, “Don’t miss the moment by trying to capture it.”
2. Take a tech timeout
Try going for a walk or having lunch without your phone. Even a ten-minute break from the screen can calm your nervous system and help you reset your thoughts.
3. Laugh, connect, and say thank you
Send a meme. Check on a friend. Say “thank you” more often. Real connections, both online and in person, nourish us emotionally in ways that social media validation never can.
4. Power down before bed
Create a bedtime ritual that allows you to unplug at least thirty minutes before sleep. Read a book, journal, or simply listen to soft music. Your mind and body will thank you for it.
5. Unfollow to protect your peace
If a page or account makes you feel anxious, insecure, or not enough, consider muting or unfollowing it. Curate your feed so it supports your growth, not your self-doubt.
6. Talk about it
If you feel overwhelmed by technology, pressure, or loneliness, speak up. Whether it’s to a friend, counselor, mentor, or support organization, talking is part of healing. Silence should not be your coping mechanism.
Where Help Can Be Found
At Sound Mental, we support young people across Kenya as they navigate the mental health challenges that come with modern life. Whether it’s digital overwhelm, self-esteem issues, or the need for a safe space to be heard, we are here to walk that journey with you.
Follow Sound Mental:
Instagram: @soundmental_
Email: soundmentalhealthfoundation@gmail.com
If things are getting out of hand, please call us on +234 814 831 8965 or send us an Email at: info@copeandlive.foundation
No matter where you are on your journey, you are not alone and you don’t have to figure it out alone.
Thrive, Don’t Just Scroll
You were not born to perform for an audience or to feel small next to strangers’ curated lives. You were born to thrive. To live meaningfully. To rest. To grow.
The next time you find yourself mindlessly scrolling, ask yourself , is this feeding me or draining me?
And if the answer is the latter, it’s okay to pause. Log out. Take a walk. Talk to someone. Reconnect with yourself.
Your peace is worth protecting.
By KINYA N GITONGA
254796037994
About the Writer:
Kinya, N. Gitonga. (2023). Strong from within: Mental health reflections for a new generation.
Kinya, N. Gitonga. (2024). Thrive: Reflections on identity, purpose, and healing in a hyperconnected world, especially for youth navigating stress, comparison, and self-worth.
Keles, B., McCrae, N., & Grealish, A. (2020). The influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents: A systematic review. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 25(1), 79–93. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2019.1590851
Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2018). Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents: Evidence from a population-based study. Preventive Medicine Reports, 12, 271–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2018.10.003
American Psychological Association. (2023). Health advisory on social media use in adolescence. https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/impact-adolescents
Qualifications:
1. Msc Clinical Psychologist and Trainer
2. Founder of Sound Mental
3. Author and Editor
If things are getting out of hand, please call us on +234 814 831 8965 or send us an Email at: info@copeandlive.foundation