Social media and mental health
Why Highlight Reels on Instagram and LinkedIn threaten your satisfaction and how to protect yourself from them
Introduction
Social media and mental health are more closely linked than many of us realize. In this episode of Project Mindset, Reza Mehman shares two personal observations he made while scrolling through Instagram and LinkedIn. He describes how the constant exposure to other people’s Highlight Reels can trigger a creeping sense of dissatisfaction. This isn’t about classic envy, but rather a fundamental cognitive bias: comparing our entire lives to the individual achievements of many different people. Reza explains why the quote “You can do anything in life, but not everything” is so important and why some online success stories simply aren’t true. The episode provides practical tips for using social media more consciously and protecting your own focus. A relevant topic for anyone who regularly uses Instagram, LinkedIn, or other platforms.
Summary
In one sentence: Social media only shows us other people’s highlights, which is why we should stop comparing our entire lives to these isolated moments.
In three sentences: Reza Mehman describes how scrolling through Instagram triggered a creeping dissatisfaction in him because his mind lumped together individual highlights from different people into an unattainable whole. He also warns that many people online exaggerate their productivity and working hours to present themselves in a better light. The solution lies in maintaining one’s own focus, applying the Hedgehog Principle, and not letting oneself be pressured by other people’s Highlight Reels.
In five sentences: Reza Mehman shares two observations about the influence of social media on mental health. While scrolling through Instagram, he noticed how the Highlight Reels of various people gave him the false impression that everyone else could do everything while he was lagging behind. The key cognitive bias: We don’t separate the individual achievements of many people and compare them collectively to our own lives. His second observation concerns LinkedIn posts in which people claim unrealistic working hours, which is often simply untrue. Reza recommends focusing on one’s own work, minimizing external influences, and cultivating a healthy relationship with social media.
Context: Who, What, Why
Who is speaking: Reza Mehman, host of the Project Mindset Podcast and expert in personal development and mindset work.
What is it about: This article focuses on two specific observations Reza made while using Instagram and LinkedIn. He analyzes how Highlight Reels create a distorted perception and why some online success stories are not credible.
Why is this relevant? Billions of people use social media daily. The impact on mental health, especially through constant social comparison, affects almost everyone. This episode offers practical strategies for using these platforms more consciously.
Three key questions of the episode:
- Why do Highlight Reels on social media create the feeling that everyone else can do anything?
- How can you tell if success stories on the internet are exaggerated or untrue?
- How can you protect your mental health when using social media?
Table of contents
- Introduction – Why social media and mental health belong together
- Summary – The episode in one, three, and five sentences
- context – Who is speaking and why the topic is relevant
- Topics and classification – The central themes of the episode
- Key messages – Key findings at a glance
- Frequently Asked Questions – Answers to the most pressing questions
- Highlight quotes – The strongest statements from the episode
- Transcript – Read the full episode here
- Keywords – Relevant keywords and tags
- Names and terms – Important references from the episode
- quotable passage – For sharing and quoting
Topics and classification
1. Highlight Reels and Social Comparison
Reza describes how lumping together the highlights of different people creates a distorted overall impression. The error in thinking lies not in envy, but in the failure to differentiate between individual achievements.
Keywords: Highlight Reels, social media comparison, Instagram comparison
2. Authenticity and self-presentation on the internet
Using a LinkedIn post about extreme working hours as an example, Reza questions whether some success stories are even true. The hustle-hard mentality is critically examined.
Keywords: Authenticity, Social Media, Self-presentation, Hustle Culture
3. Focus and the Hedgehog Principle
Reza recommends focusing on your own thing, minimizing external influences, and applying the so-called Hedgehog Principle: head down, focus, and go your own way.
Keywords: Focus, Hedgehog Principle, own path
4. Abundance Mindset and a healthy approach to success
Reza emphasizes that success is plentiful and that one can be happy for others’ success without putting oneself under pressure.
Keywords: Abundance mindset, allowing success, healthy pressure
5. Mental health and conscious social media consumption
The episode is a plea to use social media more consciously and to protect one’s own mental health, instead of letting oneself be unsettled by posts.
Keywords: mental health, conscious social media consumption, digital mindfulness
Key messages
- On social media, we only see the individual highlights of different people and combine them in our minds to create an unattainable overall picture.
- The feeling that everyone else can do everything does not arise from envy, but from a misconception in the processing of Highlight Reels.
- “You can do anything in life, but not everything” means: Every person can achieve great things, but not in all areas at the same time.
- Some success stories and claims about working hours on the internet are simply not true.
- Nobody can work productively for 15 hours a day indefinitely, even if LinkedIn posts suggest otherwise.
- An abundance mindset helps you to be happy for others’ success without putting yourself under pressure.
- The Hedgehog Principle recommends: Keep your head down, focus on your own thing, and minimize external influences.
- A certain amount of healthy pressure is important to move forward, but it should not be created by other people’s highlight reels.
- Social media comparisons don’t just apply to Instagram, but also happen in real life during conversations with friends and acquaintances.
- Recognizing these cognitive biases leads to a more relaxed and conscious approach to social media.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do Highlight Reels on social media cause dissatisfaction?
Highlight reels only showcase the best moments of different people. Our brains lump these individual achievements together, creating the false impression that everyone else is capable while we lag behind. The cognitive bias lies in the lack of differentiation: each person only displays a single area in which they are currently successful.
Is comparing oneself to others on social media the same as envy?
No, according to Reza Mehman, the feeling of comparison isn’t necessarily related to envy. It’s more about a cognitive bias: you don’t separate the individual highlights from one another and get the impression that you’re inferior in everything. You can certainly be happy for others’ success and still fall prey to this cognitive bias.
Was bedeutet “You can do anything, but not everything”?
This quote means that everyone can achieve great things in one or a few areas, but no one can be excellent in all areas at the same time. It reminds us that focusing on what’s essential is the key to real progress.
Do people on LinkedIn exaggerate their working hours?
Reza Mehman is convinced that many people on LinkedIn exaggerate their working hours and productivity. Studies show that genuinely productive work per day is limited. Anyone claiming to work 15 productive hours a day is probably not telling the whole truth.
What is the Hedgehog Principle?
The Hedgehog Principle describes the strategy of focusing on one’s core topic, minimizing external distractions, and consistently pursuing one’s own path. Like a hedgehog that lowers its head and extends its spines, one protects oneself from disruptive influences.
What is an abundance mindset?
An abundance mindset is the belief that success, prosperity, and opportunities are plentiful. Those who think this way don’t need to be envious of others because there is enough for everyone. It’s the opposite of a scarcity mindset, which believes that the success of others comes at one’s own expense.
How can you use social media without jeopardizing your mental health?
Reza recommends consciously viewing other people’s highlight reels as isolated moments and not comparing them to your own entire life. Additionally, you should question whether online success stories are truly genuine. Focusing on your own goals and not letting yourself be pressured are further important steps.
Does the comparison with highlights only happen on social media?
No, Reza emphasizes that the same mechanism occurs in real life. When friends and acquaintances talk about their highlights, the same cognitive bias can arise. One shouldn’t let oneself be intimidated, even in personal conversations.
Highlight quotes
“I had seen the individual highlights from the people and hadn’t even considered that it was only the one highlight in this one area.”
– Reza Mehman
“You can do anything in life, but not everything. Roughly translated: You can do anything in life, but not everything at the same time.”
– Reza Mehman
“I am absolutely certain that there is such a thing as an abundance mindset. Everyone can be successful; success is plentiful.”
– Reza Mehman
“Perhaps the person is simply lying. Perhaps they’re fibbing a little and not telling the whole truth, simply to present themselves better on the internet.”
– Reza Mehman
“I simply don’t believe it’s possible to work productively for 15 hours a day.”
– Reza Mehman
“Sometimes it makes sense to keep your head down and extend your spines. You focus on your own thing.”
– Reza Mehman
“I believe a little pressure is important to move forward, but it has to be a healthy kind of pressure.”
– Reza Mehman
The full conversation
Hi everyone and welcome to Project Mindset, the channel for all those who know that with the right mindset, anything is possible. Today I want to talk about two observations I recently made on social media, which might serve as a little warning to you about how to be mindful of your mental health when using social media. Specifically, I was recently scrolling through my Instagram feed, watching a few videos, and checking out those Highlight Reels from other people, including people I don’t know.
So, I follow certain people because, for example, they’re good at calisthenics, or good at basketball, or people who occasionally give book recommendations and so on. I then noticed that these people naturally post their most exciting moments. One person has mastered a new move, another has finished writing a book, a podcaster talks about a success on their podcast. And then I noticed a kind of dissatisfaction slowly bubbling up inside me.
Where does the feeling of dissatisfaction come from?
At first, I couldn’t even put my finger on it anymore, because I’m not typically the kind of envious person who begrudges others their success. I tried to observe why I’d become a bit dissatisfied. And I realized that I’d actually gotten something mixed up in my head. What does that mean? I’d seen the individual highlights of these people, and then I noticed or sensed in some way, wow, everyone can do everything, my mind couldn’t separate the different things.
One person posts about this topic, another about that topic, another about that topic. And somehow I got confused, thinking that everyone could do everything, and I was just lagging behind. And that’s when I realized, no, I need to separate these things in my mind. It’s not like everyone can do everything, definitely not. Personally, I can do one, two, three things reasonably well, at least I hope so. And everything else is just beyond my capabilities, not to a high level.
You can do many things, but not everything.
There’s a really important saying I’ve known for a while, but it didn’t come to mind at the time, but I dug it out again. The saying goes, or the quote goes like this: “You can do anything in life, but not everything.” Roughly translated, you can do anything in life, but not everything at once. And with my use of social media, in this case Instagram, I’d somehow gotten that mixed up. I’d only seen the highlights of individual people and hadn’t really thought about it.
Yes, it’s just one highlight in that one area. My mind has somehow jumbled everything up, thinking everyone can do everything and I’m lagging behind. It doesn’t necessarily have to be just on social media; sometimes you’re out with friends, acquaintances, and so on. Then everyone talks about their life highlights, and you shouldn’t let that intimidate you into thinking everyone can do everything and you’re lagging behind. No, most people are simply sharing their highlights.
Consciously put the successes of others into perspective
This doesn’t really have anything to do with feelings of envy or anything like that. I think there’s a certain healthy envy. Personally, I’m the kind of person who’s happy for people’s success. I’m absolutely certain that there’s a kind of abundance mindset. Everyone can be successful; success is plentiful. Thankfully, everything is abundant in some form these days. That means you don’t have to be envious if someone has more than you. Nevertheless, I got confused by the idea that everyone can do anything.
And that’s my first observation today, or almost my first warning, that you should pay attention to not mixing things up. Or confusing them. The second observation I made recently was also very interesting for me personally. I saw a post on LinkedIn. That’s one of the channels I use, LinkedIn and Instagram. And someone on LinkedIn had posted, “Hey, this person works from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day and then again from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.”
Excessive working hours on LinkedIn
And somehow, from 5 pm to 8 pm, he’s busy with the kids, family, and so on. Then I thought, wow, if he keeps that up, let’s say for a year, then he’ll be doing in one year what other people do in three or four years. So he should be incredibly productive and way ahead of everyone else. Then I thought, but hey, if he really does that, where does the balance in life come in? I mean, getting two or three hours a day in with his family, with his partner, with friends, acquaintances, and so on.
Continued
That doesn’t work. And what about exercise? I think we can all agree that a little exercise is essential. But the other thing I thought about, and this might actually happen more often than you’d think, is that maybe the person is simply lying. Maybe they’re fibbing a little and not telling the whole truth, just to present themselves better online or to friends and acquaintances. Maybe someone just isn’t telling the truth.
And that’s probably the case when someone says they’re putting in those hours, including Saturdays and Sundays. I just don’t believe anymore that people can manage that for, say, two weeks or so. We all know those studies about how long you can actually be productive in a day. I simply don’t believe that anyone can work productively for 15 hours a day. If someone could do that, they’d have to be like Elon Musk, with four companies, and have made significant progress in all of them.
But that’s not actually the case. So, the second observation—if you hear from someone who’s written something online or from acquaintances in your circle that they have some kind of hustle-hard mentality and are really going all out, etc.—could simply be that the person isn’t telling the whole truth. So, folks, today I just wanted to share these two observations with you. They’ve helped me, or rather, the insights I’ve gained from them have helped me to go through life a bit more relaxed.
Maintain your own focus
Especially when I use social media and don’t immediately get the impression that everyone can do everything and I have to keep up and put myself under a lot of pressure. I think a little pressure is important for progress, of course, but it has to be a healthy kind of pressure. And you can’t let yourself be influenced by everyone else’s posts, by their highlight reels. There’s something called the Hedgehog Principle, or the Eagle Principle. Sometimes it’s really helpful to keep your head down and your quills out.
You focus on your own thing, of course glancing left and right now and then, but maybe keeping external influences to a minimum and focusing on what you want to do yourself. Okay everyone, I hope you enjoyed today’s podcast episode. If so, please give it a like and subscribe to the channel, because that’s the only way Project Mindset can continue to grow. Thank you so much for listening, and see you next time. Mindset is everything.
This transcript was automatically generated using Whisper AI and may contain occasional errors.
Keywords
Tags: Social media mental health, Highlight Reels, Instagram comparison, Abundance mindset, Hedgehog principle, Hustle culture, social comparison, self-presentation online, digital mindfulness, mindset, Project Mindset, Reza Mehman
Names and terms
Reza Mehman, Project Mindset, Instagram, LinkedIn, Highlight Reels, Calisthenics, Abundance Mindset, Hedgehog Principle (Igel Prinzip), Hustle Hard mindset, Elon Musk, “You can do anything in life but not everything”
quotable passage
“We see the highlights of different people on social media and our mind throws everything together, so that we believe everyone else can do everything and we ourselves are lagging behind.”
“But that’s a misconception: Everyone only shows their one area where they currently shine.”
“You can do anything in life, but not everything: You can achieve great things, but not in all areas at the same time.”
“Some success stories on the internet are simply exaggerated or untrue.”
“Head down, focus on your own thing and don’t let other people’s highlight reels put you under pressure.”
You can find more personal insights on how to consciously use comparisons at Project Mindset.
