Social media was once the poster child of the evolving technological world but has quickly become notorious for the negative effects it has on the average person, often without them even realising it. Several scientific studies have ventured into the impact of social media on the psyche, and more specifically, how the way in which we typically use social media contributes to feelings of depression, listlessness and loneliness.
To help combat this extensive problem, we have compiled a blog about how to be a healthy user of social media. We know that telling you to cut social media from your life entirely is an unrealistic goal, so we have set out ways you can minimise the harmful effects of the tech, on your mind and soul…
1. Reduce Overall Screen Time
There is a definite link between excessive screen time and self-professed social media addiction, and intense feelings of depression and loneliness. Your first goal should be to whittle down your social media time per day, to somewhere between 10 – 30 minutes per site per day, where possible.
When at work, it may be less practical to spend 30 minutes per daily responding to emails, particularly when there are a fresh 300 mails in your inbox each day. To combat the necessity of screen time at work, try to get up and walk somewhere at least once every 2 hours. This gives your eyes a break from muscular work and glare and increases circulation and bodily comfort.
2. Engage in Active Use
Some of you may have heard of the Passive vs Active Use concept already. For those who haven’t, it stipulates that passively scrolling and liking posts has little effect on most, and a negative effect on some, but actively posting updates, responding to other users, and searching for specific people to check up on, yielded much more positive feelings.
3. Motivation of Use
Research has shown that the core reason we use a specific social media site could contribute to negative emotional responses. For example, people who use social media to stay connected with friends and family report more positive experiences, whilst people who use social media for social support during times of difficulty, report considerably negative experiences.
This prompts us to send a message to grieving readers: consider in-person support groups for assistance dealing with your recent trauma. Support during bereavement is incredibly important but can be difficult to ask for.
4. Inspiration, Not Comparison
Social media is notorious for breeding social comparison. Seeing people that we perceive as more beautiful, more successful or more happy post about their beautiful, successful, happy lives can be quite misleading, and upsetting to the average user. It is important to remember two things: 1) Most of this content is not real, and when it is, it is a single snapshot of a single moment, not indicative of a person’s entire life experience, and 2) this can inspire you instead of making you feel inferior.
5. Consider Your Mental Health
Possibly the most important behaviour to make a habit is the ability to be a self-aware user. Check in with yourself regularly, and if you are feeling a little down, sad, despondent or lonely, consider a simple outdoor activity or visit with a friend. Social media makes it even easier for us to isolate ourselves in times of heartache, but do not be tempted. The step outside may be difficult, but it sure is worth it.
Looking for more social media tips? Click here for an informative blog on how to deal with grief stories on Facebook.
