April 22, 2025
By: Emily Carter

I don’t know why I do it. It’s like a trainwreck I can’t look away from, even though I know it’ll make me feel miserable. For some reason, I can’t stop reading negative comments on social media. I see people arguing about things that, honestly, don’t even matter, but I get sucked in every time.

It starts with a random post or comment that I come across while scrolling. It could be something that most people (including me) would obviously disagree with. Maybe it’s a hateful remark or a wildly ignorant opinion, and my brain immediately goes, “That’s not right!” But instead of just moving on, I click on it. I find myself reading every single response, even when I know it’s just going to make me angry.

Here’s the worst part: It’s always the same. Someone will post something problematic, and then a bunch of people will come in trying to explain why it’s harmful, why it doesn’t make sense. But the original commenter? They just keep doubling down. They’ll throw out even more ignorant or offensive replies, and nothing ever changes. The arguments go in circles, and I’m sitting there, just furious, wondering why I’m putting myself through it.

It’s like I’m waiting for that one person to come in and change their mind, like I’ll read something that finally gets through to them. But it never happens. I just end up frustrated and upset, wasting way too much time on something that won’t change.

I’ve tried to stop, honestly. I’ve thought about unfollowing certain pages or even muting certain topics, but for some reason, I always find myself coming back to it. It’s like this weird need to be right, or to be part of the argument, even though it just drains me.

I guess it’s just my personality, but I really need to figure out how to step back. It’s exhausting and pointless, and yet, I keep engaging.