Protecting Yourself

The most effective strategy is an information diet. Unfollow any account that consistently makes you feel worse after viewing it. This is not avoidance. It is hygiene. You would not eat food that made you sick every time.

Build a real-world village instead. One honest conversation with a struggling parent friend does more for your mental health than a hundred reassuring posts. The antidote to curated perfection is authentic connection where both people admit uncertainty.