You Are What You Click: How Being Selective, Positive, and Creative Can Transform Your Social Media Experience

Internationally acclaimed behavioral science and social media expert Dr. Brian Primack, MD, PhD, makes the realist's argument that we do not need to give up social media, delete all of our online accounts, or discard our phones to live healthier, happier lives. Dr. Primack shows how what we consume online affects our well-being, and in response he gives us a personalized "tech diet" for enjoying a balanced relationship with social media.

Arming readers with new, evidence-based research, You Are What You Click teaches us why many of our current social media habits may be making us feel more alone and depressed. He then empowers us to take back control by being selective about the way we spend our time online.

Primack's research reveals how surprising nuances may modify the effect of social media use, such as our personality traits, how many different platforms we use, and whether we've met our social media friends face-to-face. With short, actionable chapters, you'll learn how to:

• Break off toxic relationships and select positive ones instead.
• Overcome comparison syndrome.
• Fill your feed with uplifting content.
• Manage your news intake and stop doomscrolling.
• Improve your sleep, create "tech holidays," and much more.

With innovative science, and an engaging new protocol for managing your relationship with technology, you'll discover how to find inspiring, creative ways to make social media work for you.

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About the Author

Brian Primack is an award-winning expert on the relationships among media, technology, and health. He holds a BA from Yale, a master’s in education from Harvard (with a focus on adolescent development, psychology, and education), an MD from Emory, and a PhD in Behavioral Science from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Primack developed a multi-million-dollar research program centered on how media and technology influence health. He was the founding Director of the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Research on Media, Technology, and Health for over 15 years, which is one of the most influential organizations in the world on this topic. He is now the Dean of the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas, as well as a Professor of Public Health and Medicine. Primack’s work has been reported in the New York Times, NPR’s Here and Now and All Things Considered, U.S. News and World Report, The Today Show, the BBC, Cosmopolitan, and TIME Magazine. Primack has also been a featured speaker on Washington Post Live, TEDMED, CBS News, and many more.