The world is a different place than it was 20 or 30 years ago. Adolescents and adults alike are spending more time on their phones, tablets and computers. They access things such as social media, the news, music, television, and much more. The fact that nearly unlimited knowledge, access to important resources, and funny memes are so easy to get is generally a good thing. Yet, like all things in life, with the good there is bad. One of the negatives we’re seeing is how social media is affecting society as a whole. Things like social anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and feelings of loneliness are on the rise. This can be, in part, due to our open access to online content. The benefits to limiting social media has many facets.
Social media is great at letting us stay in touch with people we love. It also allows us to see new, exciting, and funny content. It also highlights to many of us, everything we aren’t able to have. Many people today are in the habit of comparing themselves to others online (even if they don’t know them personally). They then might feel the need to try and keep up or compete with these people. This causes people to feel inadequate, unworthy, alone and, of course, jealous.
As difficult as it can be there are some things to keep in mind when looking at online content. Anyone who is “trending” because of their dance moves, workout routines and as a result ripped or slim bodies, flawless makeup application or fancy cars aren’t showing you everything else going on in their world. These people often aren’t excelling in all aspects of life, but present one very edited portion of their life. This makes it look like they’re flawless (in whatever they are posting about).
Limiting time spent on social media limits our exposure to highly edited content. It also allows us the time to build the lives we want to live. If we aren’t spending hours on social media each day we could be socializing, cooking healthy meals, finding hobbies and focusing on ourselves. When people feel good about their life, they have lower levels of anxiety, depression, higher self-esteem and feel more connected with those around them.
So try it! Start by reducing social media usage to just one hour a day, or thirty minutes even. When that’s successful, reduce it again. You might be surprised at how you are able to positively change your own life without it.