In this day and age, nearly everyone we encounter is tied to some form of social media. While these sites can be great, they also have the potential be overwhelming, and are known to cause a number of issues. Having a poor or unhealthy relationship with social media can lead to a low self esteem as well as the decrease of key human relational skills like empathy and conflict resolution. If used correctly, social media can be a great tool to build your brand and keep up with friends. Next time you’re scrolling through your feed, keep in mind these tips for maintaining a healthy relationship with social media:
- Be Selective About Who You Follow
- Sometimes, looking at certain peoples’ feeds can anger us, make us feel left out, diminish our self esteem, or make us feel unsafe. By following only the people who make us feel our best, we can keep our feeds full of the things that we really want to see - and void of the things we don’t.
- Don’t Draw Comparisons
- According to a study conducted by PLoS One, the more time people spend comparing themselves to others on social media, the more depressed they get. Make sure that when you’re looking at the things that others post, you remember that these people are sharing one specific moment, rather than the whole story. It’s also important to keep in mind that others’ happiness does not minimize your own.
- Set Aside Time
- If you find yourself scrolling through social media at all hours of the day, it might be helpful to set aside a prescribed amount of time solely to keep up with social media. By doing this, you can become more present during the rest of the day without falling completely out of touch.
- Remember Why You’re on Social Media In the First Place
- We’ve all been stuck in the loop of opening our social media apps to check out one specific post and then realizing an hour later that we’ve been scrolling aimlessly, looking at post after post! Avoid falling into this trap by being thoughtful of why you are logging in and making sure you sign off directly after you’re finished. This will help make sure that you are using social media the way you want - to connect with friends and keep up with others - without getting sucked in.
- Don’t be Afraid to Go off the Grid
- If you feel that social media is negatively impacting your life, consider taking a break and reaching out to someone. Missing some posts is a small price to pay for avoiding the complications that continuing with this negative habit would inevitably cause.
Overall, social media can enhance your life, but it can also easily turn into a stressor and intensify the symptoms of anxiety or depression. By keeping these tips in mind, you can become more mindful and develop healthy social media habits. By having a healthy relationship with social media, you can create balance, protect your mental health, and make your social media use a positive force rather than a negative one.
