Do you know that over a billion social media users are online? Besides, they spend 2 hours and 31 minutes on different social media daily.
But do you think that your and their time on social media is worth it? While it helps you increase your exposure and knowledge, this invention can quickly deteriorate your mental health.
How? Let’s learn below.
The Good Side of Social Media
There are many aspects of social media to be thankful for. It helps connect millions of people with their loved ones with a click.
Social media platforms are ideal for engaging with different communities, making new connections, and raising awareness on many issues.
These platforms also help people discover various sources of income and allow them to promote their talents to the world.
While it doesn’t offer a true human-to-human connection, social media is a great way to interact with people with the same likes and habits via a screen.
The Bad Side of Social Media
Unfortunately, it is not always as good as it looks.
As per research, increased use of Facebook can elevate anxiety and depression. Similarly, Instagram is linked with causing appearance anxiety, body dissatisfaction, and eating disorders in teenage kids.
Here are some ways in which social media might be your worst enemy.
- Social media can increase a sense of loneliness in individuals. This makes them feel isolated and harms their well-being.
- It also triggers a feeling of dissatisfaction and inadequacy. Seeing people flaunting their achievements and lifestyle on the internet naturally makes you envious and less valued.
- Social platforms are full of bullies, and online trolling is one of the common reasons behind increased suicides among teenagers.
There’s More…
- Excess use can cause extreme sleep deprivation. As a result, the users go through a long phase of low self-esteem and depression.
- Highlight reels on social media may also elevate the feeling of FOMO. The fear of missing out accelerates when other people enjoy rewarding experiences without you.
- Increased use of these platforms can have a detrimental effect on relationships. You start perceiving others better than your own loved ones, leading to unnecessary comparisons and broken bonds.
What Drives Social Media Usage?
Social media harms your mental health, so why do people use it regularly?
This double-edged sword is a great tool to cure boredom and catch up with people you don’t meet daily.
It is also an excellent source of information and an ideal invention for entertainment.
Regardless of people knowing its downsides, social media platforms become more popular every year. So, if you want to stay updated with the world, use these platforms but with some control.
Tips to Use Social Media Wisely
Here are some ways to consume social media without hurting your mental health.
Stop Doomscrolling
Doomscrolling is an act of giving unnecessary attention to bad or harmful news. It can lead to severe anxiety, depression, and tiredness.
Instead of paying heed to harmful information, read feel-good content and allow your thoughts and life to grow positively.
Customize Your Feed
Instead of following everyone, customize your feed and eliminate all the doomsayers from your platforms. You can take help from different artificial intelligence tools and build a feed with things that interest you and persuade you to engage.
Say No to Social Comparisons
Don’t compare yourself with others. This is a great practice that helps you feel less insecure about your body, wealth, and other essentials.
Your body image and mental health are co-related. Therefore, avoid comparing your body with the bodies of people you see on the internet.
Feel proud of your skin, color, and shape.
Set Limits
Control your social media use by setting limits. Set a certain number of hours you wish to use a platform in a day and stay within it until an emergency.
You can also set such limitations for your children so they maintain their consumption to a certain level only.
Focus On the Good Aspects
Instead of using social media for unnecessary scrolling, please focus on the good things it offers. These platforms are perfect for starting a living, building a brand, creating a community, and gaining information on various topics.
Platforms like LinkedIn offer you great learning hubs and build skills or knowledge to take over the world. Besides, Facebook is a great place to interact with like-minded communities.
Instagram can help you build a brand, while Pinterest is home to new ideas. It is all about looking for what strikes your fancy.
Final Takeaway
Unfortunately, social media and mental health have a solid relationship. This means an increase in social media consumption and can have an increase in mental health issues.
So, if you care about yourself and your loved ones, work towards creating a healthy social feed, reduce spending time on different platforms, and seek positive rather than negative news. You can also control the social media usage of your kids so they absorb good and effective content only.
Make small changes and benefit from social media without hurting your mental health.
