Are you checking your phone excessively, hoping to see a text or like? If yes, you may becoming a slave to your screen and the outcome of that is never really pleasant.
How so...?
Excessive social media usage can pose a threat to one’s psychological well-being; the risks include increased loneliness, anxiety, self-harm, depression and suicidal thoughts. Although not everyone is susceptible to such effects, the statistics reveal that even casual usage has created a decline in happiness of users. Youth are the most vulnerable of the population as they encounter a sense of inadequacy about themselves or their lives which disrupts healthy development. The constant comparison, need to be validated, unfair labelling of people and cyber-bullying are a recipe for disaster. Yet, social media usage doesn’t have to have a negative impact on you if you keep these tips and tricks in mind before social networking:
Study yourself: First things first, study yourself! Ask yourself some introspective questions such as, “why do I feel the need to excessively use social media? What are my triggers? Which settings fuel the urge? What am I trying to accomplish? Are my habits helping me or harming me?” Asking yourself these questions can increase your self-awareness and may even be sufficient to help you overcome your struggle. Read more about self-awareness here.
Face yourself: Once you have done some soul-searching, you will come realize that you are attempting to use social media to undo a past hurt or satisfy some unmet needs of your life. And it’s time to face the reality, social media may be a quick fix, but never a solution for the long run! If you don’t find what you are looking for online, it can send you spiraling. So try finding an alternative solution that really addresses the issue. This may include stepping out of your comfort zone, finding real time connections or even reconnecting with old friendships.
Educate yourself: Did you know that social media was intentionally designed to exploit the human need for social validation? Read about the devious mechanism of the social-validation feedback loop on our article here, the facts will shock you! Educating yourself is a powerful tool to overcoming your struggle with social media.
Embrace yourself: Looking for acceptance and validation from others can lead to hurt and disappointment. Here's a fun excercise for you: Name atleast 5 unique qualities that make you special. That felt good right? Always remember you have something valuable to offer to people around you; discover & hone those strengths especially before you step into the virtual world. Appreciating your differences and celebrating them is an essential part of being a confident, happy and healthy person.
If you enjoyed this article, we welcome you to join our group counselling initiative for beating social media addiction. At Group Therapy you can gain valuable insight about your personal struggle with social media and discover the solutions to overcome it along with a supportive community of people with similar stories. You can outsmart your brain from getting sucked into the rattrap of the internet!
Learn more about Group Therapy here.
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