Social Media

Social media has been connecting us all over the world for quite some time. It has brought us good aspects by proving us with world updates and information, glimpses into others, and celebrities’ lives and connecting us to love ones we haven’t been able to visit. It has also provided ugly aspects such as threats, trolls, too much attention, and lack of physical connection. Being born in in the 90s, I had the privilege of growing up without it, seeing the beginning of it and living in the midst of it continued growth

Being born in the 90s, I still remember the days where being on the phone meant you couldn’t get on the computer during that time and that three-way calling was the closest you got to being able to talk to more than one friend at a time. There was such a peace about living in the 90s. You were focused on what was happening at the moment in your space and not others. When MySpace and AIM came into the picture, the world became larger but also closer at the same time. Now you can start to see a glimpse into others moments in time and have a constant connection with friends and family, but exposed to the unknown. As the internet began to grow as I was growing, more people began to become accessible, more information and images were available and comparison started to creep in. I started to compare myself to what I was seeing online; how my clothes looked, my body size, and the way my life was.

With low self-esteem and confidence, social media brought me the attention I thought I needed and wanted. It took me quite some time to understand how to use the internet and my social media to the benefit of my mental health. The tips I learned are:

1. Watch who you follow – understanding who follow is so important. I remember trying to friend everyone I knew including acquaintances, but I didn’t necessarily want to know or care to know about their lives or views.
2. Have social media break day(s) – taking a day or more from social media can be helpful. You start to bring yourself back to living in the moment and developing lifetime memories instead of always trying to find the right light and angle for IG, Facebook, or Snapchat.
3. Be mindful of the content you share and consume – this is very important. The content you consume can have a huge influence and impact on how you think about pretty much everything.

I still use these tips today especially since social media has become the source of news for this new generation. It is important to understand the content you are providing others as well as consuming daily. Paying attention to what I consume, helps me to balance my mental state throughout the day. It has been especially helpful in this time since we are facing two pandemics: COVID and the murders of black people. Though staying informed has been my priority with both, limiting my content and time on social media has helped me keep my anxiety in check. Use these tips if you are feeling overwhelmed or too attached to your social media accounts.