How to deal with the Negative Effects of Social Media?

Role of Social Media in Our lives today

Socializing may be a vital part of our lives — it helps us feel more connected and make a community. When we’re apart, using social media makes it easier to remain in-tuned and maintain those connections. it's other benefits, too, like allowing us to practice social skills during a low-stakes environment, find new friends through shared interests, and preserve memories. But we all know that social media isn’t without its downsides.

Many folks can relate to losing track of your time or feeling unmotivated after a mindless scroll. And it’s easy to feel lonely when we’re only communicating virtually, or worse, we'd feel a way of low self-worth as compared to the photographs of perfection we see online — whether or not they represent reality or not.

If you’re hoping to determine a healthier relationship with social media, understanding the impact it's on conditions like loneliness or anxiety is vital. With this data, we will find out how to require a mindful approach to social media use, gaining greater control over our digital behaviours and feeling less controlled by them in our real lives.

Social Media and Psychological State

From push notifications to targeted advertisements, the manipulative practices of social media are real. Put plainly, these platforms are designed to lure us in and keep us there (the longer we’re plugged in, the higher their metrics). Unfortunately for us, the negative impact of social media only gets worse the longer we spend thereon. And once we’re hooked, the platforms tend to be the sole side that wins. The negative effects of social media on the psychological state are real, too:

1. Anxiety: If you discover yourself feeling anxious or depressed after being on social media, you’re not alone. Research has shown that social media and anxiety go hand and hand, with increased screen time exacerbating feelings of anxiousness, and sometimes even creating them within the first place.

2. Fear of missing out: Otherwise referred to as FOMO, these feelings of hysteria may come from not being invited to or not participating in enjoyable experiences with others. FOMO can cause a negative thought cycle unique to social media: Worry sets therein events are happening without us, followed by the urge to stay scanning the platforms for proof, and eventually, feeling a sinking validation of our worry once we see proof of these off-our-radar gatherings in posts online.

3. Body image and self-esteem: When airbrushed photos fill our feeds, it is often easy for negative feelings surrounding social media and body image to sneak in. The thin-ideal presented in photos online creates an unattainable social media body image which will have a true effect on our self-esteem. When we’re hooked on regular scrolling and that we see more and more picture-perfect images, sometimes we find ourselves feeling worse about ourselves.

4. Sleep issues: Constant scrolling also can chip away at sleep. One British study found that teenagers who used social media for quite 3 hours per day were more likely to travel to sleep in and awaken during the night. That’s more bad news for those folks who spend tons of their time on social media and suffer from anxiety: We find ourselves feeling anxious about what we’re seeing on the apps, and even more anxious from the shortage of sleep caused by our time spent scrolling.

5. Cyberbullying: One survey found that 30% of teens within the U.S. had experienced some sort of cyber aggression within the last month, from unkind statements to rumours and even threats. Cyberbullying is often difficult to watch, and it can have real, dangerous effects on the psychological state of people of all ages who experience it.

With these negative effects top of mind, it’s tempting to require us to get rid of social media from our lives completely. And while that’s certainly an option if we discover that we’re happier without it (and can keep it off), it’s still possible to stay on our daily scroll and curb the bad feelings.

Key Takeaways

• Social media can take a toll on our thoughts and emotions
• With mindfulness, we can learn to focus on the good parts of social media and avoid the common pitfalls