Let’s be real – screens and social media are pretty much part of our everyday lives now. Screens are a big part of how we work, play, and stay connected to our family and friends. But, have you ever thought about how they can mess with our minds, especially our mental health?
Social media apps are designed to keep us engaged for as long as possible so there’s no ending to the scrolling. We will NEVER reach the bottom of the page because there isn’t one. This infinite scrolling and swiping overloads our brains with so much information and the easily accessible bad news from all over the world as well as the seemingly perfect lives of others (because nobody posts about their boring daily tasks) can spike our stress and anxiety levels.
The things we see on social media are mostly the highlights of people’s best moments, often carefully selected (the best 1 or 2 pictures out of a full camera roll), filtered, and edited. We often fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to these pictures and then feel like we’re not doing, or being, enough. This can make us feel pressured to live up to those unrealistic standards and give our anxiety a boost when we try so hard but can’t keep up.
Then there is the famous algorithm that shows us exactly what we want to see just so that we scroll a little while longer. Our social media apps look mostly like a perfect world full of people who have the same interests and beliefs as us. This makes us want to keep coming back instead of living in the real world. Over time we may become more polarized and less tolerant of other points of view and beliefs.
Social media is not meant to make us feel good, it’s meant to keep us engaged and consuming. Have you noticed the number of ads we get hit with every time we scroll? 1 to 2 ads to every 2 friend’s stories or posts. All of this “buy this”, “sign up for that”, “do this”, “go there” can also make us feel like we don’t have or do enough, causing our anxiety to spike some more.
Then there is the effects from the blue lights, the cyberbullying, the heaps of negative comments, the influencers, and have I mentioned all the FOMO and the ads? But seriously, the list of ways that social media messes up with our mental health is extensive. It is up to us to set limits to social media use and to make sure we are participating more in the real world with its real relationships and doing things that are healthy for our brains and bodies. Are you ready to turn on your device’s screen time tracking and to challenge yourself to spend less time scrolling? Your anxiety will thank you.
Barbara Johns, LPC Associate
I believe that in order to heal, people need to have a safe space where they can explore what is contributing to their problems and how they can use their difficulties as fuel for personal growth in order to turn things around and live life the way they really want to. My goal is to provide you with that safe and supportive environment as well as with new tools and skills that you can take with you on your journey toward healing and growth.
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