Corona media madness; setting limits on your use of social media

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

On February 28^th, 2020, 6.7 million people mentioned the coronavirus on one day (Forbes Magazine, Online). The pervasiveness of social media is now estimated to increase to over 3.02 billion users worldwide by 2021. One can only imagine how these numbers will change in the upcoming weeks due to the lockdown, and quarantine of billions of people across the globe.

Whether it is: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, or texting, social media and upgraded digital platforms now make it easier than ever to connect with friends and family. With the current state of affairs, it seems to be the only way to connect with friends and family. This does however warrant an examination of how the increased use of these communication methods is affecting us mentally, physically and socially.

A study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found that the more time young adults spend on social media, the more likely they are to have problems sleeping and reporting feelings of depression (Hurley, K, 2020, PSYCOM).

Another study coming from the same school found a correlation between time spent scrolling through social media apps and negative body image feedback. Participants in the study who spent the most time on social media had 2.6 times the risk of having body image concerns (Hurley, K, 2020, PSYCOM).

Young people are the biggest concern. The UCLA Brain Mapping Center found that receiving a high number of likes on photos showed increased activity in the reward centre of the brain, which provides proof to the idea that teens are influenced to like photos regardless of content, and more so based on the high number of likes (Hurley, K, 2020, PSYCOM).

What does this all mean? It does provide some proof to the fact that social media can cause some serious issues if not managed. Research has shown that it can increase feelings of inadequacy. Social media uses tend to compare themselves to other users. They will try to measure up the ideal lives they see, not realizing that most of what they see is not real.

Have you heard of social anhedonia? It is a type of schizotpy that causes a numbness of feelings. You may not feel happy, and the activities that you would normally enjoy doing (exercise, sex, mediation, reading) may not satisfy you anymore.

There is also a real chance that you could become addicted (if you are not already). Every time you check your phone or social media account, you trigger addiction areas of the brain because your brain is searching for that high. Take a cell phone away from a child, or limit access to the Internet, and watch the withdrawal symptoms appear almost immediately. You will see them emotionally shutdown, and their ability to focus becomes limited. Another aspect of humanity that you might notice decreasing is the ability to interact with others, and a development of social phobias.

We are all familiar with FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). People actually experience some anxiety because they feel like other people are having fun without them. Depression becomes a real part of your life if you don’t feel smart enough, as interesting, or as successful as other. It is like a double-edged sword; don’t go on, your missing something. Go on, you feel inadequate.

Now, we are not telling you to never go on your social media but practice social media distancing. Set limits to your time on your device. It is time to start recognizing and experiencing the world away from the current digital madness. Protect your mental health and practice moderation.