Podcast Summary: Call It What It Is

Episode: Call It Social Media Anxiety
Host(s): Jessica Capshaw & Camilla Luddington
Date: October 6, 2025

Main Theme

This episode centers on social media anxiety—specifically, how platforms like Instagram and TikTok affect adult users, not just teens. Jessica and Camilla candidly share their own experiences with performance, vulnerability, and anxious "what ifs" triggered by social media, diving into generational differences, coping mechanisms, and the pressures faced by adults (especially women) online.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Social Media Use and Vulnerability

• Jessica shares her evolving relationship with Instagram, describing how she moved from self-conscious posting to embracing the "performance" aspect of Reels and trends, often with Camilla's encouragement.
  • “You actually were the person that pulled me into it and made it fun." (04:46)
  • She notes feeling self-conscious and vulnerable when posting as "just herself," which led her to enjoy performing versions of herself.
• Camilla views her social feeds as an “extension of performance,” noting it’s fun to showcase different, lighter aspects of herself, given their dramatic on-screen roles.
  • “My social media…is an extension of performance.” (05:46)

2. Parenting in the Age of Social Media

• Both discuss parenting challenges: Jessica’s kids don’t have social media but find workarounds; Snapchat is a current negotiation.
  • "We are...carefully considering amount of screen time and exposure.” (07:41)
• They emphasize the importance of informed, individual choices for families regarding tech exposure.

3. The Adult Version of Social Media Anxiety

• The core of the episode is Jessica’s firsthand account of spiraling anxiety after preparing to post a fun Instagram Reel featuring a coworker.
  • She describes overanalyzing, future-oriented “what if” thoughts:
    • “I was worrying. I was having more than one worry. And the worries were all in the future... not what it was.” (11:25)
  • Camilla helps Jessica apply a grounding technique—asking "what else is true" to counter anxious spirals.
    • “I literally wrote out for you…‘What else is true? This is a cute post. What else is true? …You look great, Chris looks great, it’s fun.’” (13:07)
• Physical Anxiety Responses: Jessica shares somatic symptoms:
  • “My somatic response is instant sweaty armpits...then my stomach and my chest.” (15:17)

4. The Adult Impact of Social Media

• Camilla cites a May 2025 study (Northeastern Global News) showing that adults who deactivated Facebook/Instagram for six weeks reported significant improvements in happiness, depression, and anxiety—benefits especially pronounced for users over 35.
  • “It was as effective as average psychological interventions like CBT or mindfulness. Just deleting.” (21:26)
• They discuss generational differences: adults may feel more relief because they didn’t grow up with social media, making abstinence or moderation easier.
• Jessica advocates for moderation over abstinence:
  • “When I use social media mindfully…like not more than 20-30 minutes a day, I'm good to go. But that requires discipline." (23:12)

5. Comparison and Content Pressure

• Both reflect on pressure to curate a "perfect" life, noting generational expectations of presentation versus the value of authenticity and humor.
• FOMO & Self-Doubt:
  • Jessica: “After an hour on Instagram, I’m convinced everyone’s life is better…doing things that are way more fun…there are parties I wasn’t invited to.” (25:09)
  • Camilla: “Everything can just…be more elevated. Always, whatever you’re doing, there’s a more elevated version you’re going to scroll through and want to do.” (28:54)

6. Coping Mechanisms & Mental Health

• Grounding in Reality: The “what else is true?” method returns grounding focus to present facts, curbing catastrophic thinking.
• Decision Paralysis: Jessica’s anxiety peaks before hitting "send," not after—the “in-between” is hardest:
  • “I actually didn’t have anxiety. I did not have worry. I stopped worrying about it because I made the decision.” (31:08)
• Therapy Techniques:
  • Jessica’s therapist encourages identifying “futurizing” and interrupting spirals, sometimes via simple mantras.
  • Camilla finds stating worries out loud, even irrational ones, helps diminish their power:
    • “Just saying it out loud and hearing the crazy helps me.” (41:12)
  • Both express curiosity (and frustration) about the elusive benefits of meditation.

7. Platform-Specific Experiences

• Instagram feels more curated and pressure-filled, associated with FOMO.
• TikTok is described as less curated, with a wider range of “real” life content that feels less competitive or superficial (though just as addictive).
  • Camilla: “Instagram feels a little more shiny and curated than TikTok.” (46:09)

8. Industry Realities and Social Media

• Both feel pressure from their profession to maintain an online presence. Social media has become a non-negotiable for self-promotion.
• They reminisce about the joy and direct connection of “live tweeting” with fans, compared to the current complex dynamics.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Vulnerability & Comedy:
  • Jessica: “Do I look like a big old ding dong? Do I look like I’m taking myself seriously? …That was a big one for me.” (13:37)
  • Camilla: “I hope we’re strutting like that in a short dress at 80, Jess.” (14:55)
• On Comparison Culture:
  • Jessica: “I can absolutely convince myself...that everyone’s life is better. That there are parties I wasn’t invited to, friendships that mean so much more, that we should be on a yacht.” (25:09)
  • Camilla: “Everything can just...be more elevated. Whatever you’re doing, there’s a more elevated version.” (28:54)
• On Anxiety and Avoidance:
  • Jessica: “Part of the perseveration, part of the asking the what if...is actually avoiding making a decision.” (30:03)
  • Jessica: “My anxiety is sitting in the in-between.” (31:12)
• On Therapy & Coping:
  • Camilla: “What helps me is to say the things—what else is true—a forced reality check.” (42:29)
• On Generational Shifts:
  • Jessica: “We didn’t grow up with the tiny screens...I do always find myself attracted to the middle—reduction, not abstinence in pretty much anything.” (22:09, 22:28)
• On Collective Wellbeing:
  • Jessica: “That state of mind goes out into the world and it’s contagious...that person has been made worried and worrying, and they’re no longer in their state of path to joy. They go out into the world…there’s a cumulative effect.” (53:14-53:25)

Audience Engagement & Future Episodes

• Both hosts invite listeners to share their own experiences with social media anxiety.
  • “I want to know how social media is living in all of your all's lives...I would do a follow-up episode.” (46:49, 47:02)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Intro to Topic: Social Media & Adult Anxiety – (02:52)
• Jessica’s Instagram Anxiety Story – (08:51–13:37)
• Physical Manifestations & Mental Spiral – (15:11–16:56)
• Statistics/Study on Adult Social Media Deactivation – (20:40–22:09)
• Coping Techniques: ‘What Else is True?’ – (12:57, 13:37, 42:29)
• Comparison and Content Pressure – (25:09–29:03)
• The Role of Social Media in Showbiz – (48:09–49:39)
• Anxiety Management & Therapy – (41:12–44:44)
• Audience Invitation/Outro – (46:49–53:30)

Final Thoughts

The episode demystifies social media anxiety among adults—especially women and those in the public eye. Through vulnerable storytelling, humor, and research, Jessica and Camilla illuminate:

• The fine line between “performance” and “authenticity”
• The futility of perfection and the power of camaraderie, humor, and reality checks
• The importance of community and honest conversation around digital anxieties

Listeners are reminded: it’s not just teens; you’re not alone; and sometimes just naming the feeling (or phoning a friend) creates the opening for relief and laughter.