Infinite scrolling has been so successful at keeping us glued to our screens for longer that each day it uses the equivalent of 200,000 human lifetimes of disappearing down social media rabbit holes. That’s the conclusion of Aza Raskin, the man who invented the feature back in 2008.

Given that 4.8 billion people or 60% of the world’s population use social media every day for an average of 2 hours and 24 minutes, you can begin to understand how Raskin’s calculation stacks up. The fastest growing group of users are the young. Some statistics suggest that 40% of teenagers are spending more than 8 hours a day scrolling.

Social media can be an enriching tool for our lives; a place for connections and communities. It can boost our mental health through its content and by facilitating connections that make us feel less alone. It can educate us, entertain us, and give users a platform to share our voices.

But social media can also be a place where a small proportion of people discriminate, say negative things or even act in hateful ways. It can, in some instances, threaten the personal security of its users.

All this ought to be a matter of concern to parents and responsible adults but as we know, to a large extent, young people’s conversance with social media technology often outstrips that of their parents and carers.

For a valuable digest on keeping safe and understanding the risks and the benefits of social media use, our Partner Louisa Rose, CEO of Beyond Mental Health charity has penned a comprehensive guide and you can read it here.