Today, scrolling through social media has become an everyday motion in our lives. Some might say it is as common as breathing. Platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook made things like that all possible. While they do in fact connect us to friends, family and the latest trends, take one small step back and look at the bigger image. The overwhelming truth is, social media is stripping us from our ability to connect with the world, it is draining our mental health, self-esteem, and it is drowning us out from the real world. It’s time we disconnect, put down the phones and try to explore healthier outlets and escapes.
One of the most shocking effects social media has, is the impact it could have on mental health. There are studies that show that there is a strong commonality between heavy social media use and increased anxiety, stress, loneliness and depression rates among teens and young adults. A report from the American Psychological Association, highlights that the constant comparison to curated lives on social media can lead to feelings of inadequacy and dissatisfaction. When we spend all day scrolling on TikTok and Snapchat looking at those different photomontages, trying to make sure that we are perfect for the next person to like our picture it has an adverse effect on our mental aptitude. We should be focusing on what we have in front of us and appreciating the situation we are presently in. The pressure of living for everyone can be overwhelming and hard for people at times, which could lead to increased anxiety and depression in oneself. That’s why we should disconnect.
One other downside of social media is the impact it has on our attention spans. Anyone with a smartphone, has the latest technology that is designed to create content, edit it, and have it consumed by the masses within a span of seconds. It easily allows our brains to slip from focusing on our daily tasks. We have become accustomed to instant gratification all of a sudden. Constantly refreshing our feeds for the next rush of a joyful high. This habit of social media only distracts us from our tasks, but it distracts us from our studies and our everyday lives. It in a way nerfs our capability of critical thinking and deeper engagement with the outside world.
More or less, social media creates a false sense of connection. We might think we are keeping in touch with our friends, but in actuality we are creating more depth away from them. A study published in The Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology found that limiting social media use to 30 minutes a day can lead to significant reductions in feelings of loneliness and depression. Instead of liking, texting and sharing our posts, we should be engaged in more face-to-face interactions. People should pick back up hobbies, start doing community activities and healthy exercises. The real connections we are really going to make are far more offline and valuable, than any number of shares you get on a photo you post.
There are many things that you could do to keep you away from social media. Things such as reading books, going outside and playing basketball, being around friends or going out for a walk, can offer a great stress reliever than any share or like ever can. And it would also feel nice in retrospect for a refreshing time away from the screen. I’m just saying, these activities can encourage us to stop and spend time to reflect and connect with ourselves in ways that social media just won’t let us grab. By being outside and active and changing our interests we can sit down, reflect and connect with the world around us. The constant pressure to perform, the false sense of connection, and the distractions that come with it can be bad to our well-being. Let’s put our phones down and seek out real experiences that better our lives. After all, the best moments are often those that come away from the screen.
