If you’re feeling anxious and insecure, you will be interested to learn these 5 ways social media can adversely affect your life. You might find out you’re long overdue to put down your phone and instead pick up a coffee with loved ones.
Technological advancement has given people many benefits, especially when it comes to communication and building social networks.
In fact, this is the most crucial time for people to be as connected as ever.
However, it’s also equally important to note that there’s a negative effect on people’s mental health – if you become too hooked on various sites, apps – and especially social media.
As you might know, I’m a bestselling author and happiness researcher. I wrote a book called Happy Habits.
In my research, I learned that you can harm your mood by spending too much time online – and in particular on social media.
Basically, if you want to be happy, you need a “diversified happiness portfolio” of various happy habits. In particular habits you do in person with loved ones! (Pssst… I explain this more in my book: Happy Habits.)
Unfortunately, using social media too frequently will lead to many negative emotional issues. You might find yourself feeling more lonely, isolated, and depressed. And if you’re portraying a false self on your social media, this can lead to a range of issues. Furthermore, using social media can even ruin legalities and lawsuits. Browse around here for more information.
Here are more ways when social media negatively impacts your life:
Although social media platforms provide a convenient way for people to communicate, nothing beats face-to-face contact.
You’ll feel more mentally healthy, because you’ll feel more of yourself. Plus you’ll also be better at sensing what other people feel when you’re up close and personal with them.
Basically, compared to teleconferencing or video calls, you can emotionally relate to your friends when you can see them in real life.
Hence, if you prioritize social media communication over in-person relationships, you will notice that you will be developing some mood changes, potentially leading to depression and anxiety.
Another helpful tip to avoid anxiety is to stay away from toxic and negative people. Choose to be with someone suitable for your mental health.
When you look at other’s posts, there may be times when you feel a hint of jealousy. You might start to worry that you’re behind in your life – and that others have better lives. The idea that you are missing out on some things can trigger anxiety and stress.
The concept of FOMO captivates and lures you to constantly check your gadgets for any updates and news about what’s currently going on around you. This will trigger you to respond to every notification compulsively, even if you’re doing other, much more essential things in your daily life. This will endanger your health as you might lose sleep, take risks when driving, or prioritize social media interactions compared to real-life situations.
A rising problem about cyberbullying has been reported recently over the last decade. In recent years, when social media has become widely used, many teens have been bullied by other users through offensive comments. Fake news, hurtful rumors, lies, and verbal abuse have been some offenses that people suffer on social media accounts. Quite dangerously, all these ugly scenarios will leave emotional scars on bullied people and may even trigger an act of ending one’s life.
Getting the right amount of sleep every night is paramount. However, everyone might relate to how the use of the Internet at night can reduce your hours of sleep. Before choosing to hit the hay, you may want to use your phone to check social media networks. Soon you’ll realize it’s already past your bedtime. Eventually, all of this lack of sleep will affect your physical and mental condition.
In many cases, when you feel anxious or envious due to the posts you’ve seen on social media, it will be even more difficult for you to sleep calmly. Moreover, the blue light on your phone’s screen also suppresses the release of melatonin in your body, making you feel more tired than ever.
The best thing you can do to avoid all these from happening is to be disciplined about your sleeping habits. Make it a point to stop using any gadget at least 40 minutes before you go to bed. This will make a big difference in your sleep quality in the long term.
Checking social media timelines and your friends’ posts will not only make you feel socially isolated but will also spark insecurities and self-pity sometimes. The comparison factor is a human nature that could be very difficult to avoid.
Whether it’s a good or bad kind of contrast, any comparison still leads to a negative type of emotion. So, it would be better to avoid spending too much time scrolling through your social network timelines. Stay happy and contented with what you have now, and continue to live your life cheerfully.
Although this article doesn’t encourage you to quit social media for good, it would benefit you better if you can control your usage frequency. Set a schedule as to when you can browse online. Make it a point to follow this schedule strictly. You’ll be surprised by how much making these simple, positive change can help improve your physical and mental health.
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