The first thing that I do in the morning is check my phone, and I’m sure that’s the first thing most of you do as well. Apps like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat can easily become an integral part of your daily routine, or eventually become a real addiction.

According to socialmediatoday.com, young adults spend up to 9 hours a day on social media, which translates to five years and four months spent over a lifetime. According to the same website, that is enough time to fly to the moon and back 32 times. 

Social media has been said to decrease productivity, create a more sedentary lifestyle and cause antisocial behaviors. In addition there has been more and more talk about the negative effects of social media in regards to mental health.

You will inevitably see people on Facebook posting about their awesome new job, Instagram posts about their ground-breaking weight loss story or tweets about their awesome new boyfriend; while you’re over here unemployed, eating a cookie and single. While this is hyperbole, the reality is reading statuses and seeing photos of everyone else seemingly having the time of their lives can convince you that your life is inadequate in comparison to theirs.

Seeing and reading that stuff can make you feel awful, whether it be consciously or subconsciously. Something to keep in mind is that a vast majority of people only post the “high points” of their lives to social media, not the low ones – which everybody has, I should add.

Put succinctly, social media platforms allow us to present our own filtered sense of reality, showing only what we want to show.

The underlying pressure behind social media is what seems to be making it so negative for mental health. The pressure to update your feed with attractive photos or “relatable” tweets to impress your followers can become overwhelming, whether you realize it or not.

The desire to want to come off as an impressive, attractive human being is only natural, and so is the constant comparing of yourself to others.

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A PROFESSIONAL’S STANDPOINT

Brian Vanderheyden is the manager of the Student Wellness Center on campus – a new department that just launched Spring 2017. Brian shared with me his thoughts about social media in relation to mental health.  

1.  Would you, a professional, say that social media can be detrimental to mental health? If so, in what ways? Do you see this as a large or small scale issue?

At this time, the research on this topic is still pretty new — hard to imagine social media has only been around for a decade or so! Feels like much longer. Some research that has come out in the last couple years that suggests that when people use social media for extended periods of time, it can have a great impact on mental health (decrease self-confidence and self-esteem; increase depression, anxiety, etc.). Hard to say at this time if it is a large scale or small scale issue. Since college students use social media frequently, it’s definitely a topic we will continue to be interested in moving forward.

2. Do you ever have any students come into the Wellness Center seeking guidance about the negative effects social media is having on them?

We have not had anyone approach us regarding this topic, but I think it’s definitely a topic of conversation among college students and something we are very interested in as more research comes out.

3. What advice would you like to give to students about this topic? How could they use social media in a healthier way?

There are many strategies that students can use but I would encourage them to explore and reflect on their social media use and in what ways it is impacting them. That would give the student more insight into how social media may be negatively impacting them and what strategies might help them move forward. Some examples of strategies could be setting boundaries on use during the week, following accounts that would bring them joy, etc. There are many ways to approach using social media in a way that works for the student and the best way to start is to reflect on their use.

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WHAT CAN WE DO?

It is unrealistic in this day and age to say that the answer to this problem is to delete all of your apps and never log onto social media again. We, as a society, see it as a near necessity to be in-tune with what’s happening at all times. Not knowing what was in the news today or what our friends are up to makes us feel out of touch, and in some cases, extremely anxious.

I have, however, compiled my own realistic set of tips and tricks to become less reliant on social media and happier when using it.

1. Turn off your notifications.

Every time your phone lights up saying someone liked your Instagram or retweeted your Tweet, odds are you will open up the app and stay there for a while. Turning off your notifications can help you check your phone fewer times throughout the day.

2. Out of sight, out of mind.

If you have work to get done, simply hide your phone somewhere out of your sight. This will help you focus on what you’re doing, versus reflexively grabbing for your phone every two seconds.

3. Redirect your focus

We often spend more time on social media when we are bored. Redirecting yourself towards other activities like going to the gym, reading a book, cooking or hanging out with friends will reduce the time that you spend idle on social media.

4. Notice where your negative comparisons are stemming from.

Why are you having a negative mental reaction to someone’s Facebook post? Ground yourself by pinpointing it in a positive manner! Is it because this person is showing their workout routine or diet? Perhaps consider putting a higher value on your own health, as well. Take those negative, self-loathing thoughts and put them towards something productive. In a healthy way, of course.

Humans will continue to make unfair comparisons, but next time, try viewing it as an opportunity for some positive self-evaluation instead of negative self-loathing.

5.  Have a cleanse.

Challenge yourself to delete all of your apps for a day, maybe even a few days if you are brave. During this cleanse, take time to notice how it makes you feel. Taking a little break from social media may be just what you need to realign yourself.