Hey, did you know that social media has officially been identified as being detrimental to mental health?
When it comes to scrolling, dealing with other people’s opinions and comparing with peers’ lives, social media can have a lot of impact on our minds.
In January, I decided to deactivate my social media accounts. I’d been overbooked rather a bit with distraction, juggling multiple tasks and taking in a world of opinions. Naturally, it became a bit much and so, the decision to strip back was vital in order to align with myself and my values.
You see, everyone has an opinion, that’s our right as humans and our natural inclination. We’ve got experiences and paradigms that influence how we see the world and the more vocal amongst us feel the need to share.
The reality with opinion though is that it is just that. Opinion.
And when there are many of them and they are conflicting and not aligned with our values, we start to get muddled and pulled in various directions.
Social media is opinion central on steroids. There are numerous people with ideas and advice that are dished out frivolously across the likes of Instagram. This, coupled with dopamine hits and curious people and it’s a recipe for negatively influenced mental health.
Having many conversations lately, I realise that I quote a lot of ‘experts’ on social media in my day to day life. These are words, opinions, theories and ideas. When I start to look into who they are, I question my own reasons for listening and following. Not to disrespect anyone but to actually look at credibility and qualifications is vital in real life as well as social media. It is unhealthy to follow and take onboard advice without questioning these factors.
1. Research who you’re listening to/following.
To give an example, psychotherapists study for 5+ years in order to help people through talk and have to be very thoughtful about what they say. They deal with people’s mental health and have a lot of value to share on socials.
On the other hand, others on these networks share from their instincts and after doing short courses.
Their advice does not carry the same weight.
2. It’s a fake high.
Cheap dopamine hits will give you a false sense of productivity. They will keep you going down rabbit holes as you click into more and more videos and memes. There will be a sense of achievement while not much has been achieved.
To remedy this, please practise mindful social media use.
3. Social media can impact self-esteem.
It can cause major comparisonitus. I shared this viewpoint in my book ‘What we never learned in school’. While we may be happy in our own lives, seeing what others are doing as shared on social media has an impact on us. Being able to filter this is key to protecting our mental health.
Unfollow accounts that cause you to feel bad about yourself.
Whether it is a friend, foe or celebrity, be aware of how their profiles/accounts make you feel.
4. Our why for being on socials can vary and is significant for our own motivations.
Are you looking for attention?
Our need for external validation is pretty huge in 2024. Back in the day, we would seek to be a member of the pack in order to keep us alive. If we strayed too far away, we risked being killed by animals or another tribe.
If you couldn’t tell anyone about something cool you did, would you still do it?
Ask yourself this question about social media and your why for sharing.
In order to change a habit, particularly one that has traditionally given a lot of dopamine hits, consider the following:
1. Check your screen time. When it comes to the amount of time you spend on your phone, are you aware? There are features on Apple and Android that allow you to check this.
2. Change your phone habits. When it comes to your phone, when are you most likely to pick it up? Knowing your habits can help to make a change. For example, knowing that you scroll when you wake up can be a catalyst for moving your phone out of the room and buying an old school alarm clock.
3. Check in with the people around you. I have noticed that I automatically go for my phone at times when with my partner and friends on auto-pilot. Build a habit of putting it to the side so you can focus on who is in front of you.
This subject and attention spans in general is an important topic and it will continue to remain front of mind. Keep posted and do share your learnings. All are welcome.