Living in the digital age can be difficult sometimes. News can spread in seconds, and rumors can spread quickly. No matter what viewpoint you see it from, it is evident that social media has a huge impact on us. Studies have shown that social media can increase anxiety and depression because it causes you to compare your life to everyone else on the internet. It could also contribute to feelings of despair because social media mainly focuses on the highlights of life and not the hardships, we all face. Excessive social media usage can also lead to abnormal sleep patterns due to doom scrolling. Doom scrolling is when you sit on social media for hours and put off your priorities. We have all been there before when you say- one more video, than one more video turns into another hour of scrolling. Next thing you know it’s 2 am and you regret it because you have class at 8 am. Social media platforms also have a huge effect on bullying because rumors can spread easily. This social interaction can leave a person’s self-worth damaged leading to more severe things like suicidal thoughts.
Although social media can have many negative effects on the human psyche, there are ways that you can protect your mental health. The first way is to set boundaries, like limiting the time spent on social media. You can set a time limit for apps to remind you when t’s time to take a break from scrolling. Another way to have a more positive experience with social media is to curate a feed that uplifts and inspires you. To take it a step further, unfollow people who make you feel feelings of comparison. We all know the saying that comparison is the thief of joy. Furthermore, is digital detox every once in a while. This can look like choosing to read a book instead of using social media, taking a nature walk, or going out to eat with friends. Social media can inspire us and create a healthy online community of friends, but only if we set the boundaries to do so. Next time you find yourself scrolling on social media, challenge yourself to do an activity that you have been putting off for a while.
Instead of using social media to tear others down and compare our lives to someone else’s, let’s use it to spread love. This could be as simple as leaving a compliment under someone’s post or sharing something that will make others smile. I believe with these simple acts of kindness we can change the atmosphere and negative stigma on social media.