Enrichment · Wellbeing

Their highlight is
not your whole day.

A vacation post, a highlight video, a group photo you were not in. This guide is for the moments a feed leaves you feeling behind. Write what you saw and how your mood changed, what the post leaves out and one true thing about you, then talk over four short questions alone, with a parent or with your advisory group.

Write about a postWhat you get

Comparisons

The worked example is made up: a vacation post, a skateboarding video and a group photo. Saved on this device only.

Loading the comparison form. If nothing appears, turn on JavaScript.

What you get

Enrichment · WellbeingFree

What you finish with
A record per comparison: app, what you saw, minutes, mood before and after on a 1 to 5 scale, the thought it gave you, what the post leaves out, something true about you, what you did and four discussion questions. Shows the average mood change, minutes by app and how often you acted; flags a big mood drop, a long scroll, a harsh comparison with nothing true written and a post you have not looked at critically.
Who it is for
Middle school students, on their own or with a parent, a teacher or an advisory group; also useful for high school students.
Format
Browser guide with a saved record per comparison. Prints one record, all of them in a table or a blank sheet for group use; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Wellbeing space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Right after a post bothers you, write what you saw and the minutes.
  2. Rate your mood before and after.
  3. Write what the post leaves out, then one true thing about you.
  4. Pick what you did, or what you will do next time.
  5. Talk over the four questions with someone, or in your own head.

Write about a post

Why feeds feel this way

What a post shows, and what it leaves outWhat you seeFive photos from onegood dayA filter and the bestangleA highlight, clipped andset to musicWhat it leaves outThe fifty other photosThe boring or hard partsof the tripThe hundred tries beforethe clipWhat you can doMute accounts that dragyou downSet a timer before youopen the appWrite one true thingabout youWhat a post shows, and what it leaves outWhat you seeFive photos from one good dayA filter and the best angleA highlight, clipped and set to musicWhat it leaves outThe fifty other photosThe boring or hard parts of the tripThe hundred tries before the clipWhat you can doMute accounts that drag you downSet a timer before you open the appWrite one true thing about you
Comparing your whole day to someone’s best few seconds is a contest you cannot win. The middle column is the one worth saying out loud.

Upward comparison

Comparing ourselves with people who seem better off is called upward comparison. Studies of social media use link more of it to lower mood and self-esteem, especially when people look at others’ posts without interacting.

Built to keep you watching

Feeds are ranked by what keeps people on the app. If you pause on a kind of post, you tend to see more of it. Muting, unfollowing and “not interested” buttons change what you see.

When it is more than a bad scroll

The U.S. Surgeon General’s 2023 advisory on social media and youth mental health suggests tech-free times, especially around sleep. If you feel low most days, talk with a parent, a teacher, your school counselor or a doctor. If you might not be safe, call or text 988.

Sources

  1. Office of the U.S. Surgeon General (2023). Social Media and Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory.
  2. Vogel, E. A., Rose, J. P., Roberts, L. R., and Eckles, K. (2014). Social comparison, social media, and self-esteem. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 3(4), 206 to 222.
  3. Verduyn, P., Ybarra, O., Résibois, M., Jonides, J., and Kross, E. (2017). Do social network sites enhance or undermine subjective well-being? Social Issues and Policy Review, 11(1), 274 to 302.
  4. American Psychological Association (2023). Health Advisory on Social Media Use in Adolescence.
  5. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (988lifeline.org): call or text 988, chat online, 24 hours a day.

The worked example is made up. This guide is for reflection and discussion; it is not counseling or a diagnosis. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.