Plain English with Derek Thompson
The Dark Side of the Internet's Obsession With Anxiety
Feb 13, 2024
In this engaging discussion, Darby Saxbe, a clinical psychologist and USC professor, dives into the complexities of anxiety in the digital age. She explores how social media can both destigmatize mental health conversations and exacerbate anxiety by transforming personal struggles into commodified content. Saxbe critiques algorithm-driven media for increasing rumination and distress while questioning if our open dialogue about mental health has gone too far. Tune in for insights on navigating anxiety and the future of mental health discussions online.
46:57
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Quick takeaways
- The constant discussion and identification of anxiety as an identity online may worsen the problem rather than help, leading to a culture of sharing and celebrating personal distress for an audience of strangers.
- The internet dynamics often contradict therapeutic principles, with online discussions tending to catastrophize and engage in anti-therapeutic behaviors, highlighting the need for awareness and reframing the way we communicate about mental health.
Deep dives
Prevalence Inflation and the Identity of Anxiety
The podcast episode explores the phenomenon of prevalence inflation in the conversation around anxiety, where the constant discussion and identification with anxiety as an identity may worsen the problem rather than help. It discusses how terms like anxiety and depression have become content categories on the internet, leading to a culture of sharing and celebrating personal distress for an audience of strangers. This over-correction from the stigma of mental health to making anxiety an identity can create more anxiety than it resolves. The episode also highlights the role of social media algorithms and the addictive nature of internet content in perpetuating rumination, avoidance, and negative emotions.
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