4 Methods Social Media Can Be Good for Your Psychological Well being

Everybody’s heard the dangerous information: social media is horrible in your psychological well being, particularly when you’re a young person. Actually, Vivek H. Murthy, the surgeon normal of the USA himself, stated he wished to incorporate warning labels on social media platforms as a result of they’re so dangerous to adolescents. However what if social media is not the issue? Somewhat—and listen to me out—it is how you utilize it. Look, social media will get many issues proper—it will probably positively affect our psychological well being solely if we now have the schooling and media literacy to have interaction with it. However that may be simpler stated than accomplished. Which is why we’re right here to assist.

Under, we break down why social media is not the monster many suppose it’s and the way it may be a strong useful resource for psychological well being and social assist. Able to get began? Scroll on.

Affect of Social Media on Psychological Well being

Social media can have each optimistic and unfavourable results on psychological well being. The secret’s to embrace the optimistic and get away from the unfavourable as a lot as attainable. In spite of everything, as Dianne Mani, PsyD, therapist and senior scientific director at Octave notes, social media is one thing all of us need to dwell with. “Even when you don’t use [it], our world is impacted by it,” she provides. So understanding how social media can enrich lives whereas realizing its dangers is essential.

Optimistic Results of Social Media on Psychological Well being

Let’s begin with the positives. Social media can present social assist and group. Lauren Auer, a licensed scientific skilled counselor at Steadfast Counseling, says that social media can present connections with others, “which is extremely essential.” Jared Boot-Haury, PsyD, a licensed scientific psychologist in San Francisco echoes this assertion, noting that it is notably precious “for individuals who could really feel remoted resulting from geographic location, corresponding to rural residents, or marginalized identities, like LGBTQ+ and BIPOC people. Discovering a supportive on-line group can scale back emotions of loneliness and supply a way of belonging.”

Kamini Wooden, an authorized skilled and transformational coach, additionally provides that social media can amplify your voice, permitting “you to share your story, advocate for causes you care about, and make your voice heard.” These items can all make optimistic contributions to our psychological well being.

The Destructive Results of Social Media on Psychological Well being

Not all that glitters is gold and sadly, there are quite a lot of issues on the unfavourable aspect. Considered one of them is social comparability. “Social media usually showcases spotlight reels of others’ lives, resulting in emotions of inadequacy whenever you examine your on a regular basis moments to their curated content material,” says Wooden. “This will erode shallowness and make you query your achievements and price.” All of which causes unfavourable self-talk and emotions of inadequacy.

As Wooden notes, seeing different individuals continually tout their optimistic experiences, together with successes or unrealistic magnificence requirements, could make individuals really feel like they’re all the time falling brief and cause them to criticize themselves.

Info overload can lead you to get misplaced within the sea of updates due to how posts are continually served up. This will go away you mentally exhausted and fatigued.

And cyberbullying, corresponding to harassment and poisonous feedback, for youngsters, specifically,  is a big concern. In line with Wooden, your psychological well being may very well be negatively affected, “particularly if you do not have the right assist techniques in place.” We’ve seen this grow to be a giant downside on social media, with some youngsters even taking their lives due to cyberbullying. And since cyberbullying doesn’t require in-person interactions, it will probably happen anyplace, even the place youngsters often really feel protected, like at house or a buddy’s home.

Ideas for Utilizing Social Media Safely for Psychological Well being

 You do not have to cease utilizing social media—you solely want to make use of it correctly. Listed here are some security social suggestions you must implement:

• Restrict time on-line: How does your display time affect your temper? If you happen to discover it’s having a unfavourable impact, restrict your time on social media. Auer notes that apps or cellphone settings might help with this.
• Curate your feed: One other factor that may assist you to really feel higher on social media is curating your feed. Boot-Haury explains that you simply curate your feed to deal with “optimistic content material and unfollow or mute accounts that set off stress or unfavourable temper.” 
• Keep away from the comparability entice: Whenever you’re scrolling on social media, it may be simple to match your self to who you see, be they buddies, influencers, or celebrities. “Comparability can result in cognitive distortions, which prohibit you from eager about life realistically and rationally,” Mani says. “It may well contribute to low shallowness and worsen psychological well being points corresponding to anxiousness or despair.” To keep away from this entice, remind your self of your strengths and apply self-compassion.
• Have interaction with objective: Being purposeful about who and what you interact in can go a good distance towards holding issues optimistic. “Earlier than opening an app, ask your self why you are doing it,” says Wooden. “Are you looking for connection, info, or just passing time? Being intentional about your social media use might help you keep away from senseless scrolling and be sure that your on-line exercise serves a optimistic objective.”
• Monitor your time and take breaks: If you happen to’re feeling overwhelmed or are spending a lot time on social media that it’s distracting you from what’s happening in your actual life, corresponding to relationships, work or college, and hobbies, set deadlines on how lengthy you spend on it. Higher but, take a break. “So many social media websites make it simple to take a break and pause your profile slightly than deleting it altogether,” explains Mani.
• Recurrently verify in with your self: Be certain your social media use continues to be optimistic by checking in along with your emotions. And if this (together with the opposite suggestions) does not assist, “take into account looking for assist from a licensed psychological well being skilled,” Boot-Haury suggests.

Social Media Platforms and Psychological Well being Help

There are various social media platforms, and so long as you utilize them thoughtfully, they’ll positively have an effect on your psychological well being. For instance, Wooden recommends platforms like Calm, Headspace, and Happify, which assist you to domesticate meditation, mindfulness, and happiness in your life. These apps even have on-line communities that share suggestions and instruments for decreasing stress and growing optimistic feelings.

Psychological Well being Assets on Social Media

There are various social media sources for psychological well being corresponding to particular person therapists, assist teams, and academic pages.

For example, Auer is energetic on TikTok and Instagram, the place she shares free suggestions, coping methods, and psychoeducation. Equally, Wooden is on Instagram, the place she presents sensible recommendation on self-care, boundaries, and emotional intelligence. Whereas their accounts (and others) aren’t substitutes for one-on-one providers corresponding to counseling or remedy, they’re nonetheless useful for offering steering. That stated, Auer encourages individuals to have a look at creators’ credentials earlier than blindly believing them due to misinformation.

There are additionally quite a few assist teams on social media just like the Nationwide Alliance on Psychological Sickness and Psychological Well being America. These teams present schooling, promote psychological well being campaigns, elevate consciousness, and assist customers study psychological well being situations and the right way to search assist in the event that they want it, explains Boot-Haury.

Some Psychological Well being Social Media Accounts to Comply with

There are quite a few profitable psychological well being campaigns on social media. Listed here are a couple of:

1. #ItsOkayToTalk (Andys Man Membership): This social media marketing campaign, which has a presence on Fb, Instagram, TikTok, and X, began in 2016 and has regularly inspired males to talk overtly about psychological well being points.
2. #HereForYou (Instagram): Instagram launched the #HereForYou marketing campaign in 2017 to encourage customers to speak about their very own psychological well being struggles. The marketing campaign, explains Auer, connects individuals with psychological well being sources once they search sure hashtags. For instance, if somebody searches for consuming issues or despair, they are going to be put in contact with sources to assist them.
   
3. #TalkToMe and #YouMatter (The Trevor Undertaking): These two campaigns had been began by the Trevor Undertaking, which has launched quite a few social media campaigns to assist LGBTQ+ youth. In line with Mani, #TalkToMe encourages open conversations about psychological well being, notably amongst LGBT+ youth, and #YouMatter promotes suicide prevention and reminds LGBTQ+ youth that they matter. These campaigns additionally present entry to sources and hotlines for individuals who want them.

Balancing Social Media Use and Psychological Well being

The important thing to balancing social media with psychological well being is being intentional along with your time. “Similar to with meals, it’s important to be conscious of what you devour on-line. Selecting content material that nourishes your psychological well being is vital,” Auer says.

Listed here are some further tips about reaching a superb stability between social media and psychological well being:

• Stability social media use with offline actions: Be sure you’re balancing social media use with offline actions. “These offline moments are essential for sustaining a wholesome perspective and making certain that social media is only one a part of a balanced life, not the entire image,” says Wooden.
• Keep away from doom scrolling: Doom scrolling—aka discovering unfavourable content material on social media—and senseless scrolling is simple to do, however little good can come from this behavior. “If you end up feeling hopelessness, anxiousness, or dread, put down your cellphone,” says Mani. And keep in mind an excessive amount of display time creates emotional and psychological well being points corresponding to emotions of isolation.
• Discover how social media makes you’re feeling: “If you happen to discover emotions of stress, anxiousness, or inadequacy creeping in, it is a signal that you could be have to take a break or reassess who and what you are following,” Wooden says.

Wrapping Up

Social media can positively change our lives and well-being, however we must be intentional and lifelike about how we use it. That typically means placing down your cellphone and doing one thing else as an alternative (a little bit time in nature, maybe?). Or, being acutely aware about what you are watching (and why you are watching it). Social media is not our enemy—there are many unfavourable issues about it, positive, but additionally optimistic elements too.