Social media has totally revolutionised the world. It has changed how we communicate with our friends and family, brought us closer together, and allowed us to stay in touch with people in different parts of the world. Social media’s prevalence in our lives can be undeniably positive, particularly if it’s used in the right way. However, social media is not such a good thing for many, and spending too much time on social media can be bad for our health. In this post, we explore four reasons why you should limit your time on social media.
Reduce our stress levels
A 2015 Pew Research Centre study revealed that social media induces more stress than it releases. Interestingly, the research found that Twitter was incredibly stressful for users, given that it’s a platform upon which you can read comments that reveal the stress of people you don’t even know. The stress induced by too much social media use essentially stems from an information overload. Your brain takes in far too much information in a short space of time, much of it negative, and it struggles to process it. Limiting your time on social media is excellent for your overall stress levels.
Reduce anxiety
For many, social media can be overwhelming and anxiety-inducing. In an online world, we broadcast our thoughts, personal pictures, and most importantly, our feelings. We put all of these things out there in the world and wait for people to respond and either agree or disagree with us. Waiting for comments and feedback is anxiety-inducing. If we don’t receive the feedback we so desire (lots of likes, for example), we can become demotivated and anxious about the next time we post.
Increase our capacity to focus
If left unchecked, our social media habits can take over our lives. If you download social media apps onto your phone and tablet, the likelihood is that you can check your social media feeds wherever you are. If you’re constantly checking social media, it’s detracting your attention from the task at hand. Being intentional with your social media use and planning it into your day ensures that you don’t check your feed for the sake of it, allowing you to increase your capacity to focus on important tasks that you need to complete. Many companies know how addictive social media is, with healthcare and new UK bookmakers using the platform to engage with users spending hours of their day on these sites each and every day.
Improve our sense of perspective
Social media can be a dangerous place sometimes. When scrolling through our feed, we see fantastic pictures from our friends, influencers, and celebrities showing us the best elements of their lives. It’s easy to forget that life isn’t always as it seems, and mainly, it isn’t always how it’s curated on social media. We can easily become unsettled and unhappy with our own lives if we compare ourselves to others on social media. Therefore, limiting our usage of social media apps helps us focus on the present in our own lives and allows us to improve our perspective on what life should be like.
