Everyone has done it, whether they realize it or not.

You pick up your phone, open a social media app and your thumbs get busy. Post after post goes by. Some you watch, some you ignore and others you don’t even absorb.

Social media affects every user differently, based on our life experiences and how we engage with the algorithm. Social networks may manipulate us, showing us the types of content they’ve learned we tend to spend time on.

It could be a post about puppies, a favorite sports team or even a deeply philosophical post that speaks to your happiness or hopelessness in that moment.

In 2014, Facebook revealed it had conducted an experiment without users’ knowledge. The platform showed some users more positive visuals and others more negative, then examined the emotions those users conveyed in later posts. Those shown more positive posts seemed happier while those who saw more negative posts seemed less so.

Spending too much time on social media can be isolating, which underscores how platforms influence users through screen time. Being lonely — specifically, lacking human interaction — is bad for our mental health.

In a 2016 study from Florida State University and Remnin University of China, the researchers scoured 80 prior studies and found significant relationships between social media use and narcissism, self-esteem and loneliness.

But the strongest relationship was with loneliness.

So, what can you do? Put your phone down and go clown around. Hang out with friends, take a walk and stay offline several hours before going to sleep. Go on a social media hiatus. All of this will help you regain control over social media.