📱 Gloom and doomscrolling: In case you didn’t know, doomscrolling is when you get caught in a cycle of viewing negative posts on social media. You can set time limits for certain apps, but those are easy to bypass. I have a phone-addicted friend who has her husband hide her phone after 8 p.m. Weird but it works!
How to know if you’re being stalked or are just paranoid
I’ve heard it all on my national radio show. There was the guy totally freaked out because too many strangers in public knew his name for it to be a coincidence. (His name was Buddy.)
There was a woman who swore one of Metallica’s band members hacked her iPhone to stalk her after she rejected him online. And another who bought and sold three cars because she thought they all had hidden trackers.
They all ask the same question: “Is it me or is someone/something tracking everything I do on my device?”
Tracking happens, no doubt, and it’s getting worse, given how easy these tools are for anyone to use. But I also know sometimes, it’s paranoia at work. Before you panic, let’s talk through a few scenarios.
‘I see ads for things I talked about’
I was talking to my husband about taking a hiking trip in Patagonia. I walked upstairs, sat at my laptop, and travel ads for a Patagonian getaway were on my screen. Tech companies insist this is a coincidence.
If you don’t want to believe Big Tech (I don’t blame you), take privacy into your own hands. Skip the smart speaker or turn off its microphone when it’s not in use. On your phone or computer, pop into your settings to turn off your mic for specific apps and sites, or force your device to ask you each time before enabling it.
‘They know where I am’
Dana called my show with a frightening story. Her daughter is a college student who was afraid to leave the house because unknown numbers sent her threatening texts no matter where she went. “They know what time we eat dinner, our workplaces and our schedules,” Dana told me.
This case was true harassment. I called Ricoh Danielson, a friend of the show and digital forensics expert, who helped track down the guy. Turns out, it was someone Dana’s daughter had talked to on a dating app. Here are Danielson’s tips for if something like this happens to your family.
‘Is Google stalking me?’
I once had a caller concerned Google knew his schedule too well. A few weekends in a row, he drove to his son’s house to mow his lawn while his son was out of town. The following Saturday, a pop-up from Google Maps told him how long it’d take to get to his son’s home in current traffic.
“Am I ugly?” People are asking Reddit
Would you stop a random stranger in the supermarket and say to them, “Do you think I’m ugly? Come on, be honest. Just say it like it is.”
On the wildly popular Reddit forum “Am I Ugly,” this is exactly what is happening more than ever. Comments, posts and votes were up a whopping 1,986% in July compared to last year.
Christmas stress? The government is here to help
Are you stressed out? Uncle Sam is here to help. Listen to this one-minute podcast to find out how your tax dollars are helping the nation’s mental health.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Check your inbox: If you’ve ever used the mental health platform BetterHelp, you may be one of the 800,000 folks now eligible for part of a $7.8 million settlement. To check, search for an email from “Ankura Consulting Group.” The FTC says BetterHelp shared consumer health data with third parties for advertising. Questions? Email info@betterhelprefundprogram.com.
13% risk reduction
Of cognitive decline by just exercising once a week. Even a 30-minute walk positively impacts your brain. If you can’t make it outside, take your calls or watch a show on a walking pad. You can do this!
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
New study claims social media harms kids. OK, now what?
A new study from the Surgeon General’s office concludes that social media is harmful to young people’s mental health. It’s presented as a new and urgent conclusion. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy even said in an interview, “We’ve got to move quickly” to respond to this pressing problem.
The most important thing I learned as a caregiver
My mom lived with me for 25 years. She passed away after a battle with cancer in 2021, and I miss her every day. As her caregiver, I was honored to care for her, but it was hard.
I did my best, but I didn’t seek professional help to ease the emotional burden of caregiving. Though I worked out every day, I now realize that counseling might have been helpful to process everything going on.
Need help? Talk to a licensed pro from the comfort of your own home
When it comes to mental health treatment, good help is hard to find. Supply outweighs demand, prices are sky-high and people may look down on you for needing help. Not only that, but the physical process of getting out of bed, fighting traffic, paying high parking fees and sharing your darkest secrets with a stranger can be daunting.
How to finally kick your social media scrolling habit
Endless scrolling every morning. Hours wasted on TikTok after work. What’s the best way to build better habits regarding your relationship with your phone?
Digital wellness has been a huge topic of concern recently. Apple and Android devices claim to prioritize the mental health of their users. One of our favorite ways to maximize productivity is through features that limit the amount of time we spend on entertainment platforms like Instagram, YouTube and the rest.
WebMD for Gen Z: Kids diagnosing mental health disorders online
Life can be difficult for children. It’s been a struggle for many generations. For millions of American kids, there aren’t many places to turn to. Tap or click here for the best parental control apps to protect kids.
Check your phone - These prayer and mental health apps fail to protect your data
Think about all the apps on your phone, and how many of them contain potentially sensitive information. You might have social media accounts, banking details and health records.
You might think apps like that would take your personal information seriously – especially when the subject matter can be sensitive. We all know by now that’s definitely not always the case, and plenty of apps have been known to expose user data. And here we go again.
Suicide hotline caught selling caller data to for-profit companies
Suicide hotlines are designed to help people — not profit off of them. But the promise of cash is too strong for some companies to ignore. After all, according to the LA Times, data brokerage is a $200 billion industry.
Google searches reveal the states with the most sleep problems
Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for a healthy life. Not only does it help you to get up feeling refreshed, but there is also a strong correlation between sleep and mental health. Tap or click here to see why sleeping next to your phone is a bad idea.
You know the person always staring at their phone? There's a word for that!
Many of us are guilty of using our phones when in a social setting. Whether it be meetings with friends or spending time with family, there is always a time when the phone comes out. Tap or click here for ways to break your tech addiction.
Privacy warning: Do mental health apps share your data?
No matter what you do online, your privacy should be a priority. Whether you’re shopping or working, your information and data are at risk.
There are ways to protect yourself, including changing your browsing habits, keeping your devices updated and more. Tap or click here to see how a virtual private network can help keep you safe.
Visiting family and friends for Christmas? Use this map to see the risk
The number of COVID-19 cases started spiking again recently. Medical experts believe it’s due to a combination of cold weather across the U.S. and a large number of gatherings that occurred over the Thanksgiving holiday. Let’s face it, people are getting tired of being quarantined.
How to customize your feed on Google News, Apple News
News fatigue is a real issue right now. As a nation, we’re dealing with some heavy subject matter from COVID-19 to the 2020 election and the gloom and doom headlines reflect it.
Just think about all the negative headlines that are popping up on your news feeds. Whether it’s warnings delivering more stats on the pandemic or stories about dire political infighting, all of that can take a toll on your mental health. Overwhelmed by bad news? Here are some tips to cope with endless headlines.
Overwhelmed by bad news? Tips to cope with endless headlines
If you’ve scrolled through the news headlines recently and have felt like everything is doom and gloom, you aren’t alone. News fatigue is real and it can take a toll on your mental health if you let it.
There’s a lot to be concerned about right now: COVID-19, endless wildfires and the potential for a disastrous flu season, for starters. These issues are dominating news cycles, so it can be easy to get caught up in reading only negative news. Looking for something more positive? Tap or click here for a show made up of only good news.
5 health apps you never knew existed
Many of us resolve to work out more often or eat healthier when the new year rolls around. Really, you can adopt healthier habits at any time, but the new year offers a “clean slate,” so it feels like an appropriate time to start on a “new you.”