Social media is bad for your mental health its a phrase weve heard over and over again. The stresses of lockdown have driven more of us to take breaks from social networking sites , and the rise of digital detoxes shows just how damaging our social media habits can be for our well-being.

During the pandemic, some people have witnessed perhaps more than ever before abusive and hateful messages online. Throughout this period, JK Rowling attracted criticism for her comments on trans issues , and rapper Wiley made the news for his anti-semitic outbursts .

This prevalence of hate led the European Union Commission to prepare new guidelines in an attempt to eradicate hate speech on social media by making platforms more transparent, according to Tech Crunch .

But how can we cope in the meantime, if our social media feeds are affecting our mental well-being?