Comment this emoji 😅 if you can’t live without social media 🙈
Hey friends, welcome back! Today we are going to confront our social media addition. I don’t know about you but I have a slight addition to Instagram. And if you guys are honest with yourselves too, I know that I am not the only one. Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook etc. are the best inventions of our generation but also the most damaging to our self-esteem and productivity. I am first going to address 4 truths about social media then provide 3 practical steps that you can take to have a healthier relationship with social media. I believe this blog post is going to challenge all of us to be more conscious of the use of social media and the issues that we face daily on our screens.
4 truths about social media
1. Social media VS. social comparison
Research states that every time we scroll through photos and videos on social media there is an automatic social comparison that occurs in our brain. For some, it is on a deeper level than others but the fact is that we all do it conscience or unconsciously. Social comparison is when we compare ourselves to someone else either positively or negatively which determines our own social and personal worth. For example, imagine you are on Instagram and you see Kim Kardashian and think to yourself “she has a ‘perfect’ body, I wish my body was curvier”; this is a negative social comparison. As a result, your self-esteem decreases. An example of positive social comparison would be for example when someone posts about how they had the worst day and you think to yourself “well their life sucks, I am glad it’s not me.” As a result, your personal worth increases. The type of social comparison and one’s interpretation of the comparison can have harmful consequences on one’s well-being. I know that it is not easy to control our thoughts in regards to social comparison because most often it happens automatically but now that you are informed about this matter, you can make an effort be more conscious and train your thoughts to think positively.
2. It's a game not real life
Know the truth and it will set you free. Social media is a game that we play just for fun. However, this just for fun activity has turned into a game filled with lots of competition and jealousy where people are tricked to believing that the other players are winning the game every second of their life. That the other players never lose. It’s important to remind yourself that social media is just for fun and to not take it too seriously or not let it dictate your life.
3. Highlights instead of the full movie
Social media is a platform where people share the highlights, not the full movie. We do not see the behind the scenes struggles that may not always be pretty or happy. Everyone carefully selects what to broadcast and embellishes the moment they which to share. Do not be deceived by the highlights, no one has a perfect life just perfect moments. Everyone has problems but not everyone shows them, therefore don’t let the highlights trick you.
4. Not so anonymous after all
All social media activity is not private even our private messages. These social media companies have access to all of our accounts. There is no anonymous, all cruel activity on social media can be easily tracked. Some people take advantage of social media to act or say things that they wouldn’t dear do in person which is phony. Others think they can hide behind their screens and bully others on social media and fail to realize that they are still responsible for their actions. Think before posting or commenting. Be respectful and kind because at the end of the day we are all humans with feelings and our own issues.
3 practical steps that you can take to have a healthy relationship with social media
1. Social media unplug
Sometimes it’s good to log off social media and take a little break. I personally do this weekly on Fridays from Friday at midnight to 6 pm. I have been doing this for about two years now. It’s not easy and does not get easier every Friday when you are a social media “addict”. I do this to remind myself that I am not a slave to social media and that I have the power, the power to not be glued to my phone 24/7. Warming if you plan on doing a social media unplug, you will have withdrawal symptoms such as constantly checking your social media apps then realizing that you are logged off every time you are on your phone, you will not know what to do when you get bored and finally there are major symptoms of feeling like you are missing out on everything that’s going on social media without you. However, the pros outweigh the cons, during your period of unplugging you have more time to be productive without social media distractions, you will feel refreshed and you will be present enjoying every moment instead of being glued to your phone. If you are brave enough I highly recommend that you at least try it once.
2.End the notifications
I know most of us will drop what we are doing at the sight of a social media notification, then 30 minutes go by and we are still on our phones. Try turning off your social media notifications as a way to exercise control of when you use social media.
3. Control your feed
Be selective of what you consume on social media. If you are following accounts that make you feel bad about yourself maybe you should unfollow them because the truth is that your mental health matters. Keep your feed positive, do not be afraid to unfollow negative vibes. What we see is what we copy so if there are certain accounts that lead you to sin maybe you should unfollow. It’s important to guard your feed, doing this simple action can change your entire mood and bring you peace.
Alright friends that’s the end of this blog post, hope that it motivated you to become more conscious about the reality of social media. I believe that it is crucial to have a healthy relationship with social media since it holds a big place in our generation. Have a blessed week and remember that you are fearfully and fashionably made!
