According to the Global Digital Report 2019, the number of social media users worldwide has climbed to a huge 3,484 billion, rising by 9% year-on-year. Social media is now considered a necessity for any organisation that wants to grow, with many adopting the influencer strategy to promote and review products. Scrolling through social media is the last thing many people do at night before they go to bed, and the first thing they check when they wake up in the morning. We are rarely that far away from our phones - storing them in or next to our beds, on our desks at work or in our pockets or bags on a day out, rarely switching them off entirely. There has been a large amount of coverage around the use of social media and the effect it can have on our mental health. Social media sites such as Facebook can be used to stay in contact with old friends from your past, check in with distant relatives or find out about upcoming events near you. Instagram can now be used to make money, share interests and comment on anything from dogs to politics. Dating apps such as Tinder or Bumble and Bumble can help you to meet your new love or boost your confidence by testing out some questionable one-liners. Is sharing caring?
In my experience, social media made me start to question how great my life really was. It's hard not to think about how unproductive you have been when you are sitting on the sofa watching your favourite fitness guru's Instagram story of them hitting the gym for their second session of the day. People can like your photos on Instagram but barely acknowledge you in real life, seeing stories of friends together making you wonder whether they really do prefer going out without you, and 'likes' can make you wonder if that quote your friend just shared really is a sly dig at you. Videos of my favourite YouTubers made me question how I had got so unlucky with my jobhunt, sat scrolling through graduate jobs 4 months on, and one bad picture can make you dislike your appearance or feel like you should lose weight. Acknowledging and mitigating the negative effectsIn an ideal world we could just switch our brain off from the negative comparisons and 'I should be' thoughts but we are now living in an age where your online presence can be used to your advantage with shows such as Love Island casting people based on their huge following. The pressures to look, dress and act a certain way can make you question all the things that make you, you. Whilst we can still enjoy the peacefulness of coming away from our phones for a day or so, it isn't realistic to get rid of it completely, so here are a number of things you can do to mitigate the negative effects of social media on your mental health: 1. Use the 'timer' setting on your iPhone to limit the amount of social media you consumeIf you have the latest Apple iOS settings, you’ll see that you can now set a timer that limits how much you can use social media during the day. Once you have reached this limit, you receive a pop-up when you try to access a social media app that reminds you that you have reached your limit today. I like to set mine for 2 hours a day, and then I will allow myself to use social media more (its both part of my job and part of this blog) once I have assessed whether it is negatively affecting the way I feel today or not. This is a great way of preventing you from sitting and scrolling through Instagram and reminding you to do something else away from your phone. You can also set a limit for bedtime to prevent yourself from scrolling through your phone late at night, which can lead to restless sleep. 2. Listen to podcasts or motivating videos/peopleMy go to podcast choice is ‘The Daily Boost’, a daily 10-minute recording filled with unquestionable advice from Scott Smith. In this, he talks about the importance of reviewing how you feel about each area of your life on a weekly basis, maximising your goals and overcoming challenges. I also like more light-hearted podcasts like 'The Receipts' or 'The Girls Bathroom' to listen to people discuss how they cope with certain situations and take advice from it to apply to my own experiences. 3. Follow positive social media accounts that encourage self loveReview your Instagram feed often, unfollow accounts that cause you to compare yourself, spend money you don't have or make you feel like your life is boring. Follow people who inspire you to be a better version of yourself, quote accounts for daily inspiration and photography accounts that share images of nature and art that stimulate your mind. 4. Block/hide/removeThere is nothing wrong with removing people from your social media accounts if you no longer want to see what they're up to, or if they post things just to spite you. Block your ex, remove that account that irritates you because they brag about their life and mute stories and posts from people you don't want to see every day. At the end of the day, they are your social media platforms and you are entitled to fill them with whatever you like.
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AuthorThe Blue Graduate is a career and wellbeing advice and guidance blog for students and graduates experiencing post-uni 'blues'. Archives
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