Spring Cleaning: Social Media Edition
Is social media influencing more than just your lifestyle? Have you noticed it beginning to affect your mood, relationships, or self-esteem? Social Media may be influencing your mental health and emotional well-being in your day-to-day life more than you care to acknowledge. Ask yourself, do you notice yourself spending more and more time every day on Instagram, Facebook, or other popular platforms? If you are shaking your head, thinking maybe, probably. or yep that’s me in your inner dialogue while answering these questions. It may be time for you to do some Spring Cleaning on your social media use!
Social Media in a way has become a part of our modern culture. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we as humans became even more reliant on social media than ever to stay connected. Digital Platforms helped family and friends stay connected throughout the pandemic and nationwide quarantine. Before the pandemic, and presently, we live in a world that has created a culture so connected with social media that it is almost unrealistic to believe you can altogether avoid it. The purpose of “spring cleaning of social media” is not to eliminate or discourage use. Instead, find balance and reevaluate how to optimize its use while not allowing it to be self-destructive to our mood and self-esteem. Essentially, create balance in the simplest of terms. When used wisely, social media can be a practical resource in our daily lives. As a therapist, I’m not excluded or immune to the vulnerability to be influenced by social media. I am guilty of using social media as a Modern YellowPages resource to find wedding vendors in the past from Instagram or follow Influencers as they have become my virtual personal shoppers in a busy lifestyle. How do I navigate social media? By frequently engaging in some of the tips and strategies that you will learn about in this blog.
As you read this month's Resilient Wellness Blog, engage in a moment of reflection with the following prompts:
How do you use social media in your life?
How does it affect your mental and emotional well-being?
The problem is in our digital culture; we forget to check in on our well-being. Social Media can be resourceful in many ways while also ineffective in building and sustaining our self-esteem. Often, teenagers find themselves comparing their selves to others. Young professionals use peer's social media posts as a tool to measure their own personal and professional success. Unfortunately, everyday people allow platforms of filtered images that only promote contoured highlights that aren't even real (retouched, filtered photos) to determine their self-worth. We allow others to highlight reels that affect our behind the scene day to day lives. The amount of likes or attention a post has gotten has become a currency of how we measure our own identity and self-worth.
In high school and college, professors encourage you to be mindful of what you post as you create your digital footprint. The amount of likes or attention a post has gotten has become a currency of how we measure our own identity and self-worth. Social media has become a trigger for anxiety, depression, and other additional mental health diagnoses when we do not monitor our well-being or sustain appropriate boundaries as social media participants.
Below are some strategies and resources to help you make sure that social media is adding to your life, and not draining your self-esteem and battery on your phone.
Detox the Negativity
Stop feeding into the "Hate Follow" Trend. For those of you who are not familiar with this term. Hate-Follow is following someone on social media just because you don't like them & then talking about them with your friends. I know, this sounds so silly! Yet, we are all guilty of participating in "hate following at one point or another. Life is too short to waste moments on unnecessary negativity. You have plenty of time to interact with people you don't like in life (maybe it's your boss, aunt, or receptionist that is always rude at your pet's vet). Social media is optional; you create and control the digital culture you immerse yourself in.
If it annoys or even irritates you on social media, unfollow or silence them. Click the button. That simple click will bring so much relief to your life. Suppose you feel guilty or have some internal conflict regarding unfollowing someone. Reflect on your values and boundaries with social media. Don't get caught up in hate-following. As Maria Kondo says, "Discard anything that doesn't bring you joy."
Follow Positive Platforms
Follow platforms that inspire you, bring you happiness & uplift your mood. Social media was initially designed to be a space where we connect and brings us joy. Follow position platforms, promote emotional well-being, and reinforce positive emotions, motivation, and purpose in our daily lives. Create a space in your life where social media fosters Resilience, not depletes your energy. As you move forward, engage in frequent "Spring Cleaning Social Media" opportunities throughout the year. Reevaluate who you are following and how it makes you feel. Follow new platforms and unfollow the unnecessary.
Below is a list created to help you create a healthy social media culture via Instagram.
Mental Health Platforms
@ResilientWellnessOhio
@DitchTheLabel
Positive Platforms
@GoodNews_Movement
@JustaLittleBitofPositivity
Best “Good Boy” Platforms aka Dog Instagrams
@KingTuckerDoodle
@TuckerBudzy
Disclaimer: This blog is not a replacement for therapy. If you or someone you know is struggling with self-esteem, mental health or symptoms of depression and anxiety that may be triggered by social media share this blog with them. If you are interested in participating in therapy or learning more about Resilient Wellness. Click the link below!
