Social Media and Mental Health
We live in the era of social media, we wake up in a virtual world and go back to sleep with it. so, the big deal here is our mental health. Today, I want to about "Social media and mental health". Personally, I faced a lot of mental health problems with social media and it took me a while to clear my head and get control. I grew up along with the evolution of the Internet and social media.
The internet is filled with so many resources, brilliant resources to enhance our skills and get us on a magnificent journey. But, somewhere we all get trapped in the quicksand of social media. We wake up, gaze at the screen and scroll down through a series of negative resources, manipulated media and pieces of positive radiance. Without our knowledge, our mental health gets affected. Our thoughts and feelings get affected slowly and it could be so late before we even realise it.
The power of social media is being misused and the propaganda is often misleading. Share kind words, and speak good things. Social media is the place for your fellow human to feel safe and a reminder that nobody is alone. But, we tend to fill the space with negativity, hate speech, bullying and more.
Every human is different, don't use a cookie cutter to shape them to your will. If you cannot resonate with someone on your social media, just ignore them and carry on with your work. A person cannot please everyone, that's how humankind works. You are the master of your social media accounts, don't let some algorithm master you often.
Here are some personal tips for protecting your mental health and finding a balance while using social media.
1. Declutter your following list, say it's on Instagram, Facebook, youtube or whatever. First, be aware of what's on your following list. Take time, to explore your list. Unfollow if something/someone doesn't resonate with you for the time being.
2. Limit your social media time and set a timer for usage. always check your weekly/ monthly time spent on social media. Go on a digital detox whenever you feel like it.
3. Be aware of what you want to stream, just because something is on-trend and going viral has nothing to do with your personal choices. Be aware of the impact created by the series/movie.
4. Explore more, and expand your connections. Social media is not a closed choice, just let yourself to find new things. Learn new things. Listen to podcasts, and audiobooks if you don't want to sit and read. Find your interest, and share your knowledge with others.
5. Always be kind with your words. Be emotionally supportive of others if you can.
6. Never expect a stamp of approval from anybody. Be confident about yourself. The likes and comments never matter.
7. Don't go into isolation mode, with a pandemic problem we all have lost the eye to eye contact and physical comfort. Don't let social media take away that, whenever you have the chance make meet people in the real world, you're slowly losing it.
Be clear about your thoughts and be civil to one another. You're the boss of your social media world, chose wisely what you want on your screen.