In our constantly connected age, smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, and video games play a significant role in our daily lives. Some rarely experience disconnection, while others seize any opportunity to unplug. Social media is a major part of this connectedness, with platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok providing various ways to stay online. While some people have only one social media account, others maintain profiles across multiple platforms.
As great as these avenues can be for staying connected to family and keeping up with local or world news, they can also have negative effects on our mental health and well-being. It can be nice to open your social media and watch funny cat videos or see your family's latest adventures. It can be a fun way of passing the time or give us a nice quick little break from the pressures of the day. So many things in our world have both pros and cons and social media is no different.
It can be easy to get caught up in the number of likes that a post or comment can bring. The number of likes can come with feelings of happiness, validation, and feeling acknowledged. On the flip side, if our post or comment does not get the likes we were hoping for, it can lead to feelings of worthlessness and negatively affect our self-worth. If you find that this is something you struggle with, you can engage with social media for connection and inspiration, not validation. You can also try shifting your focus when you are scrolling social media. Try posting content that makes you happy instead of what you think will make others happy.
It can also be quite easy to get caught up in the “Comparison Trap,” which can lead us to think that our daily lives are not as glamorous or awesome as the people we see online. It can be easy to compare yourself to the influencers, celebrities, or family and friends that we see posting fun and beautiful things. When we do this, it can lead to sadness and overwhelming thoughts that can also make us feel like we are not living up to the standards that social media has set. You can try curating your social media feed and following accounts that make you happy and inspire you instead of accounts that trigger you and bring on negative feelings. If you follow accounts that bring you these negative feelings, you can always put them on mute or unfollow them, and the account creator will not know.
There are a few things you can do to help keep your mind positive while you are on your social media platforms. You can scroll with a purpose instead of scrolling mindlessly, set time aside for social media and only scroll during your set times, and keep in mind what can trigger you and what makes you happy.
Keeping your mental health in mind while scrolling is something that might take practice at first, but once you are mindful of it, you may find your social media time is much more enjoyable. Social media can be so much fun and is such a wonderful way to get engaged with people around the world. It can be a whole new world of endless possibilities and excitement if we stay mindful and keep things positive.
Remember to be kind to yourself, practice self-care, and reach out for help if you need it.
If you need support, you can:
Contact CMHA South Cariboo for mental health support at 250-395-4883. The office is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Call the Emergency Crisis Line 24 hours a day at 1-888-353-2273.
Call the Suicide Crisis Line at 9-8-8. It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
