Book Review: Logged In and Stressed Out

Paula Durlofsky, Logged in and stressed out: how social media is affecting your mental health and what you can do about it. Lanham, MA: Rowman and Littlefield, 2020. ISBN: 9781538176290.

Genre: psychology, popular culture, mental health, technology

Subgenre: social media, self help

Format: trade paperback

Source: Hutchins Library, Berea College 

 

"The truth is that obsessively checking social media, e-mails, texts, and other virtual sites robs us of valuable time that could be used for our personal development and deepening our real-life relationships or forming new ones" (1). 

I picked this book up in part because I had recently heard one of those less than bright commenters on social media saying "no one really knows if social media causes stress or not." I wanted to learn more. It turns out that there is enough evidence to show that yes, being online and engaged with social media can cause stress and other mental health issues. Not everything is known, and there is more to learn, but there is enough known contrary to what the online pundits may say. 

This book not only shows that social media can affect your mental health. It also gives you the tools and advice to do something helpful and constructive about it. 

The book features an introduction, nine chapters, notes, and a selected bibliography. The chapters feature topics such as: 

• Building relationships in the Digital Age.
• Breaking up in the Digital Age.
• Medicating with Technology.
   

If you are feeling stressed or distressed in some way about your engagement with social media, this may be a book for you. It is a relatively easy read, though there are times the author lays the psychology a bit thick with name dropping and theories. On the positive, the concepts are explained well enough. Still this book may be a bit more for the more informed secular reader. 

The chapters combine an overview of the topic and two sample patient accounts. The author uses the patients' experiences to illustrate points. Along the way, we get practical tips and advice for dealing with the issues. The chapters also include skill-building strategies and end with a list of recommendations. These practical actions are another good element in the book. 

Naturally, if things are really bad, you should see a trained professional. However, there is no explanation or even acknowledgement of what happens if you can't afford a therapist. Professional mental health care is a big issue in the United States in large part because it is largely unaffordable, assuming you can even find a therapist taking in new patients (see here for example). In the end, at least some of the practices in the book can prove helpful, maybe at least ameliorate some folks' stress due to social media. 

Overall, it is a pretty good book. It offers advice that anyone using social media at any age can use and apply. It addresses a variety of issues related to social media, and it does not just tell you to get rid of it (although for some folks that may be a valid choice). Rather, it gives you ideas for engaging with social media in positive ways. 

This could be a good book for college students in courses like wellness, health, psychology, and some general studies classes. In the end, I really liked it. 

4 out of 5 stars. 

Book qualifies for the following 2024 Reading Challenge: