Social media has become part of our lives, a way of life even. With everything at our fingertips, it is difficult to imagine a world without it. However, we often underestimate the complexities of social media, failing to acknowledge our responsibility to regulate our usage in order to ensure a healthy relationship with it.

Easy access to people’s lives on social media compels us to constantly compare our own experiences with others

It has been drilled into us to be aware of the dangers of social media. However, it is easy to shrug these off and tell ourselves we use it correctly. Research in 2018 showed that 41% of 1000 Generation-Z participants found social media to be causing them mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, and sadness. But sometimes these dangers can be harder to spot, especially when they are on the subconscious level. Easy access to people’s lives on social media compels us to constantly compare our own experiences with others, even if we are given a false perception. I often find myself comparing aspects of my life with my friends, who look as if they are having a better time on their social media, however, I have to remind myself that social media really does only tell half of the story.

A prime example of this is social media influencers who can have a severe effect on our self-confidence, leading to insecurities as we are forced to view their flaunting of photoshopped photos, unachievable beauty standards, and their seemingly ‘perfect’ lifestyle, which can make us feel inadequate. Especially during the coronavirus pandemic, witnessing Instagram influencers posting about their experiences in Dubai, sipping cocktails and posting bikini photos, whilst we are stuck inside our bedrooms doing university work, unable to meet friends or family, doesn’t do wonders for anyone’s mental health. We often don’t release how long we spend viewing these images, or how frequently, and we may not be acknowledging the psychological effects they can have on us. And even if we do, this doesn’t stop us from viewing them.

You know it’s unproductive, yet you continue to do it every time

The main danger of social media seems to be its addictive quality. The average person in Britain checks their phone 28 times a day, and the ease with which we can view content and the way it seems to pass the time means we are constantly searching for more. Consequently, we end up wasting huge amounts of our time on social media. Who else can relate to this?: You’re working on an assignment, your soul is slowly starting to leave your body, and then a notification flashes up on your phone. The shining screen is staring at you, beckoning you to take a glance. So, you eventually give in. You pick up your phone and open Instagram. ‘Just a quick scroll’ you think to yourself. Then, in what feels like seconds, 30 minutes have gone past. 30 minutes you have just wasted, on what? You know it’s unproductive, yet you continue to do it every time. Why then, do we feel this desire, this need to spend hours scrolling on social media, when we know it’s pointless? It seems social media becomes habitual to us, and habits can be very difficult to break.

However, it is unrealistic to suggest cutting out social media completely, and like most things, when used in moderation, it can actually be beneficial. Therefore, it seems social media is not the problem, but the way we use it. It is up to us to acknowledge the content which makes us feel uncomfortable, insecure or invalid, and simply remove it. Believe it or not, we are in control of the content we view on social media. Recently, I decluttered my Instagram feed, unfollowing any account which I felt was not benefitting my mental health. This included influencers, fitness accounts and even people I know personally. I also discovered Instagram has a feature which allows you to regulate the content appearing on your explore page. Simply clicking ‘not interested’ on a post prevents you from viewing the photo, whilst ensuring similar content does not appear on your feed. This was strangely liberating, as I found my explore page had been filled with dieting advice, fitness videos and unhealthy habits, even though I rarely viewed these types of pages, which was overwhelming to see. Ridding myself of these toxic posts freed up both my feed and my mind.

I ensure that I only follow celebrities whose content I can trust will leave me inspired and satisfied

Furthermore, I began to start following accounts which made me feel inspired and positive. Social media has the power to enhance our everyday life, and allow us to share inspiring news, stories and experiences with one another. I ensure that I only follow celebrities whose content I can trust will leave me inspired and satisfied. Florence Given, author of, Women Don’t Owe You Pretty, is a prime example, as she uses her Instagram account to combat harmful social issues, in particular outdated views of women, through empowering quotes and quirky illustrations. Doing the above helped me to create a clean Instagram feed, filled with accounts that I know are posting content which makes me feel happy. I highly recommend anyone else to do the same, as I promise you will have a much healthier relationship with social media if you do.

When it comes to time, it is all about will-power and being strict with yourself. After finding out from my iPhone settings that most of my screen time was spent on Instagram, I began to become more aware of when I gave into temptations and was more strict with myself to resist them. There are even settings which allow you to literally cap the amount of time you spend on a form of social media if you don’t trust yourself. Whenever I am studying I always leave my phone in another room, to prevent even the slightest temptation and allow myself to completely switch off from social media, as I am not listening out for a notification. It can also be beneficial to allocate times of the day which are social media free. Many people find that staying away from social media directly after they wake up and before they go to sleep aids their wellbeing, as it allows your mind to relax and free itself from the stresses of the social media world. Research shows that the light from our phone screens inhibits the production of melatonin, a hormone which makes us sleepy, subsequently limiting the quality of our sleep. Also, phone usage before bed means that our brain remains on high alert due to the anxiety-inducing nature of social media. So next time you are tempted to have a ‘quick scroll,’ ask yourself if it is necessary. If not, then stop yourself, and do something fulfilling instead.

We have a duty of care to ourselves to only view content which makes us feel happy

Realising our unhealthy social media habits is vital for using it correctly and ensuring it does not harm our mental health. We have a duty of care to ourselves to only view content which makes us feel happy and acknowledge when we need a break from social media. We should never feel guilty for unfollowing someone or not keeping up to date with social media as our mental wellbeing needs to be a priority.

 

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