Anxiety: Why technology can leave us feeling overwhelmed | Real Life

Can technology make anxiety worse? How does social media affect mental health? In this episode of Real Life, presenter Venessa Scott is joined by Molly, YouTuber, and Justin Stephenson, Clinical Psychologist, to explore the relationship between technology, social media and anxiety. Together, they discuss how being constantly connected through smartphones, social media and notifications can keep us in a heightened state of alert, making it difficult to switch off and increasing feelings of stress and anxiety. They explore the impact of social media comparison, pressure to stay online, fear of missing out (FOMO), and how digital content can trigger anxious thoughts and behaviours. The conversation also shares practical strategies for improving digital wellbeing, including managing notifications, setting healthy boundaries with technology, recognising personal anxiety triggers and developing a healthier relationship with screens. Whether you are struggling with social media anxiety, constant notifications, screen-time habits or feeling overwhelmed by the demands of an always-on world, this episode offers expert insights and practical advice to help you take back control. This video was created by Clinical Partners as part of Real Life, a video series sharing honest conversations, practical guidance and clinically supported advice for mental health, neurodivergence and everyday life. Continue watching Real Life: Anxiety:    • Understanding anxiety triggers and buildin...   For practical information about anxiety and when to seek support: https://www.clinical-partners.co.uk/h... We’d love to hear what you think Please share what you thought of this film in our quick two minute anonymous survey. Your feedback will help us make future Real Life films useful, relevant and shaped by the people watching them: https://cloud.care.clinical-partners.... About Molly: Molly is a content creator and lived-experience advocate who speaks openly about anxiety, ADHD and the realities of everyday life. She has a warm, genuine style and a natural ability to build a sense of community with her audience. We chose her because she can explain what anxiety actually feels like with unusual clarity, helping people recognise their own experiences without feeling judged. Her practical insights also give the audience something realistic and useful to take away. You can find her channel here: @MollysADHDMayhem About Justin: Justin Stephenson is a Clinical Psychologist at Clinical Partners. In this episode of Real Life, Justin explains how to identify when technology is supporting your wellbeing and when it may be contributing to anxiety, stress and overwhelm. You can view his profile on the Clinical Partners website here: https://www.clinical-partners.co.uk/c... CHAPTERS 0:00 When technology fuels your anxiety 0:41 When technonlogy makes anxiety spike 2:07 Reassurance cycles 2:33 The difference between feeling like you're taking control and making things worse 3:56 Safey behaviour 4:56 Why reassuarance-seeking sometimes backfires 6:15 Notifications and unread messages 9:21 When technology can be helpful 10:40 Examples of helpful technology