Is Social Media Bad For You?

Do you feel anxious when you are on social media but can’t get yourself to stop scrolling? Do you find yourself on social media all throughout the day? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you may just be hooked on social media. Social media is now a huge part of our lives. Many of us use social media to escape from our lives and enjoy the rich lives of others. This, however, can be harmful to a lot of people. 

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Social media sites such as Instagram and Snapchat are always showing off the lavish lifestyles of others. When first on these sites, it seems kind of nice, but then you start to get irritated. It’s not uncommon to get jealous of the people with the perfectly shaped bodies, 2018 cars and Gucci from head to toe. I often find myself comparing my body to other women’s because it is what I am most self conscious about. I will literally scroll through Instagram for hours and feel bad about myself, driving my anxiety to an all time high, for what? For nothing! We get so caught up comparing ourselves to others that we forget who we really are.

An important part of social media is your followers. Everyone wants to have the most followers – more followers means more likes. You can even buy followers on certain apps! I have never bought my followers but I do go on the explore page and follow everyone! I don’t even look at their profiles. I just click follow and wait to see if they follow back. If they don’t, I go back and unfollow them. This is so crazy to me. I am looking for validation in these strangers. I want them to be interested in what I have to post even though I know they could care less. They are probably worried about getting their follower count up as well. 

An important aspect of social media is your likes. Everyone strives to hit triple digits on their pictures. I can be hard on myself if I don’t get a certain amount of likes. Sometimes I delete pictures that don’t get enough likes or don’t fit my aesthetic. I even have an analytics program that tells me when my followers are online and when I should post so I can get the most likes. A like should not be the most important part of social media. 

Social media can be triggering to some people, especially those with mental disorders. It is hard to see everyone else as so perfect and not think of yourself the same way. We all have to remember that we are beautiful and our lives are beautiful! I have been working so hard to seek less validation online and post what I want to post for me and only me. It can be hard to change your mindset but it will greatly benefit you. Don’t scroll through social media for hours and just do you!