Social media is an excellent place to connect with loved ones, meet new friends, keep up with celebrity gossip, and market your business. As many benefits social media has, it can also be overwhelming and cause people to have mental health issues. Here are some ways that social media can help and hurt your mental health.
Connecting with friends and family
Social media can help us stay connected with new and old friends. No matter where you live around the world, most people have a computer or smartphone. And the majority of us have social media accounts. It can be a great way to stay in touch with childhood friends and relatives. You can hop on your Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and check-in with those that you love. When you meet a new friend, you can add them to your social media profiles so that you can easily connect. Social media is a way to be sociable on the Internet. In that way, it expands your support system, which is good for your mental health. When you’re connecting with new and old friends, it helps to combat loneliness. You feel connected to other people’s lives, and that’s a good feeling.
Learning new things
People share articles from all over the Internet and social media. You can learn new facts about topics you are interested in by going online and checking out your Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. If you’re interested in politics, depending on who your friends are online, they may share sources that educate you on what’s going on in the political world. Maybe you’re engrossed in animal rights. You can learn about different organizations just by going on your social media profiles. Many people love animals and share content about them online. Social media can be a place to learn new things. Learning is a lifelong process, and it’s good for your mental health. It engages your brain, and it helps you feel stimulated.
Comparison
One way that social media can be detrimental to your mental health is when you look online and see what other people are doing and compare yourself to them. Engaging in comparison can make a person feel like they are less than another person. In reality, you don’t know what’s going on behind closed doors. Somebody could look like they’re having the time of their life, but they’re going through a divorce. A person could look attractive, but they’re using filters to make themselves appear more done up than they are. Comparing yourself to others is a lose-lose situation. You’re not like any other person. You are unique. It’s best to use social media to connect with friends and family rather than see what other people are up to you and compare yourself to them because comparison can lead to feelings of depression or anxiety.
Triggering articles
Some mental health articles have trigger warnings. The writers of those pieces are mindful of individuals who may have particular triggers. That’s the responsible thing to do when you write an article. But you can’t be sure what any piece on the Internet is going to contain. You may read something on social media that triggers you and causes your mental health to decline. You feel bad because you look at something that reminds you of a traumatic experience you had. Before you know what, you’re triggered, and it’s upsetting. You don’t have control over what someone else posted, but now your mental health is not doing well. It’s crucial to pay attention to who you follow on your social media profile to not find upsetting content frequently. Additionally, when you use social media, it’s crucial to be mindful of what you read so that you can keep your mental health stable.
Online therapy
Some people learn about online therapy through social media. Online therapy companies like BetterHelp advertise their services on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. On these social media profiles, people share their reviews, and you can learn about how online therapy helps individuals. It’s imperative not to use social media as a place to engage in therapy. Online therapy is different from going on a social media profile and talking to a friend or loved one about your issues. Friends are not objective, and they are not your therapist. If you’re interested in getting online treatment, you can talk to an online counselor and see if it fits your lifestyle. One thing you can discuss in your online therapy is if social media is negatively impacting you. That is a valid concern, and many people are dealing with it in this time period. Online therapy can help with a variety of issues, including anxiety, depression, trauma, or life challenges. Instead of trying to get mental health treatment on social media, consider seeing an online therapist. They can help you with your mental health journey.
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