November 7, 2019
By Julianna Hindemith, Silver Linings volunteer
Do you wake up each morning and immediately check your social media platforms? If you do, stop! I mean it. A much healthier morning practice involves focusing on YOU, versus starting the day by comparing yourself to others.
A recent study from York University found that young people who engaged with a post of someone who they perceived to be more attractive than themselves immediately felt worse about their self-image. Additionally, the study noted that using social media frequently and mindlessly contributes to feeling unfulfilled and isolated.
So, if you don’t want to delete your social media accounts the question is: how do you maintain a presence without compromising your mental health?
Start by turning off notifications. Instead, only check your social media platforms once a day, or better yet, only a couple of times per week. If you find it difficult to cut back, this may mean that you’ve become somewhat “addicted” to social media. So pull back more slowly if you have to. Even small steps are progress. Just remember that using social media to fill up your day can have a negative impact on your sense of self. The grass is never greener on the other side of comparison and there is no such thing as a perfect life.
Too much social media can also cause sleep issues. So one hour before bedtime should be “sans” social media. Our body has a natural circadian rhythm and the blue light from any electronic device interferes with our sleep cycle. Also, social media can contribute to depression and stress--both can bring on insomnia.
Social media is not always negative. We are connected to the world around us more now than ever. Our awareness of global events, in real time, is astounding. And individuals can positively impact causes they care about through participation in online communities. In these ways, social media can foster empathy and makes the world feel smaller. Yet the best way to engage in it, I suggest, is to exclusively follow the people and accounts that inspire you. Definitely end the mindless scrolling through self-absorbed content and ask yourself why before you engage.
What will you gain when you begin to cut back on social media? You will feel less isolated and more in charge of your life’s direction. You will have more time to focus on your self awareness, goal setting, career, family and friends--the important things! You will begin to like, and hopefully love, yourself. And the more you love who you are, the less you will seek approval. You will gain more insight into what is best for you and attract more of this. You will not need anyone or anything to validate your worth.
And if you feel that you are missing out just remember: “If you are not invited to the party, throw your own!”- Diahann Carroll.
Over time I have learned to be much more focused on who I am versus how I look and compare to others on social media. And guess what? When you start to value your own opinion of your life over the opinion of others, you just may find that the “need” for social media kind of slips away...
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