5 Ways Social Media is Killing You
Healthy Alternatives to Social Media: The Problem
For many of us, social media is part of our everyday lives. But for many valid reasons, some people no longer find fulfillment or pleasure in being active on social media. In fact, about 13–66% of teenagers and young adults suffer from depression because they spend too much time on social media. Lately, many are seeking healthy alternatives to social media. Moving forward requires us to replace our existing bad habits with new ones.
What is the way out? Being socially active is supposed to improve mental health and wellbeing, so why are the leading platforms (intended to create healthy social connections) leading to depression and isolation?
The Problem With Social Media Platforms Today
The 5 biggest problems associated with social media are highlighted below:
1. Feeling Inadequate About One’s Life or Status
On Social Media today, more than 50% of active users only post just their success stories — either real or unreal.
Other people online who are yet to attain such a lifestyle always feel inadequate about their current life when they view such posts. It’s natural to compare ourselves to others in order to build self-esteem; it has a profoundly negative effect on our self-image when we are bombarded with elaborate fabrications, staged settings, fake filters, inflated follower counts, and more.
This is one of the major problems with social media today that most people don’t even recognize.
2. Cyberbullying
Next, it is so easy to hide behind a social media account to bully and insult other people at will. In contrast to the real world, there are no adverse consequences. It’s especially problematic on social networks that don’t regulate authenticity or prevent fake users.
People regularly get away with it everyday, and their intentions are usually unknown. In essence, cyberbullying is an inescapable part of social media platforms today, and it is a serious problem.
The best solution is to avoid apps that elevate sensational responses. Instead, try to gravitate toward platforms that discredit and de-prioritize hateful commentary. Most importantly it’s best to stop using apps which lack a focus on real-world interactions and genuine offline connection.
3. The Race for Follower Counts
Unfortunately, the amount of social media followers a person has can create a direct correlation with one’s self-worth, validation, and acceptance on the internet.
It is commonly believed that someone with a small number of followers has a low voice on the internet and is hardly ‘heard’ . People run the race of gaining followers on social media so they can feel ‘heard’. The truth is, you would be surprised how many accounts buy followers.
Most of the time this is disproportionate to reality. In fact, many seek out a follower count online to mask the fact that their social life is lacking. This causes their actual social life and mental health to decline even further.
4. No Real Life Connection
People who invest a significant amount of time in social media have no real-life connection with the people they interact with. Most connections are people they have never met face to face.
For this reason, many people regard the activities on social media as unreal. In recent years it has quickly developed into an entertainment space rather than a social space. This is primarily the reason that platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok are shifting their business model toward short-form video and eventually virtual reality.
5. Depression and Mental Health Issues
For those who use social media to ‘socialize’ and be happy, they instead experience the reverse effect. The phrase “social media” has taken on new meaning in recent years, and a void has been left behind in its place. People are seeking community elsewhere.
The combination of some or all of social media’s problems listed above leads to depression and mental health issues.
As research shows, it is clear that social media today has a negative impact on our mental health, and it offers very little real-life connection with people.
Rather than being down and out, let’s discuss some possible solutions. The following list includes healthy alternatives to social media. For many, it’s time to make a change and start to see the world from a healthier, happier, more fulfilling perspective.
Share your thoughts on our socials or send an email, and let us know if you can relate. For more tips & info, send feedback, questions, or suggestions to the e-mail below!
Originally published at https://therr.app.