It wasn’t until I stopped using Facebook that I realised how much of my time it was taking up. Despite the fact I often came across posts that bored or annoyed me, I would just keep scrolling until I finally found something that looked interesting. And then, if it proved to be clickbait or followed by mindless or outrageous comments, I’d just go back to scrolling for something else. Or check my messages. Or look at that photo album I’d been tagged in.

New research from Monideepa Tarafdar and her colleagues suggests I’m not alone. After surveying hundreds of Facebook users, they found that the most common response to feeling stressed by social media was not to stop using it but to simply look for something else within the app to relieve this “technostress”. This risks creating a loop of ever-increasing stress and can even form a symptom of addiction.

Of course, these kind of apps are designed to keep you coming back for more. But simply blaming Silicon Valley won’t fix the problem. We also have to be aware of how our own behaviour in response to problems plays a role in our mental health, and how best to deal with difficult situations. Learning this could help us all live happier lives.

Elsewhere, we look at how human language is shaped by the way our brains are set up to look for certain patterns. And, after his seven year stint as chief scientific adviser to the UK government’s environment department recently came to an end, Ian Boyd gives his view that simply cutting emissions isn’t enough to prevent climate breakdown – we all need to consume less.

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