Hey superstar! Trust you are doing great. If you missed the last issue written on borderline personality disorder and social media written by Mahmuud, read here. This month’s issue was written by Khadijat Alade.
Khadijat is a third-year law student at the University of Ibadan. She is a multiple award-winning writer with demonstrated interests in energy and tech law, leadership and social impact. Khadijat believes in the power of communication and sustenance of ideas. If she isn't reading and sleeping, she would be gisting with friends.
Now, let’s get into it. Shall we?
Dear Reader,
On getting the topic for the August newsletter, the first person that came to mind was myself. This is so because of the fact that about two months ago, an overwhelmed Khadijat decided to stay away from WhatsApp and Instagram - the most used apps on my phone. This decision was after I had talked to one of my mentors about being overwhelmed. The first question she[my mentor] asked me was "have you turned off your WhatsApp notification?". She further added that this should be my first step. I heeded this advice and boy, did my stress level reduce significantly!
In the same vein, I recall coming across a video as I scrolled through my Instagram stories one fine morning. The creator was going to have his breakfast except that anytime he picked something up to eat, he either sees the negative impact or feel insecure about what he is about to consume and ends up dropping the food. The caption said "Social Media can be a crazy place sometimes with some ridiculous advices. When you are choosing who to follow, make sure you trust your source. Else, you will be in a world of confusion". Just like me and the creator of the video, we all feel the same. We sometimes feel strangled with what we consume on social media. It is amazing how much effect social media has on our decisions and daily lives, thereby taking a toll on our mental health. If at this point, you remain unsure of the relationship between social media and your mental health, that’s fair enough.
The Relationship Between Mental Health & Social Media
Man is a social animal with special regards to interaction, communication and companionship. Our need for communication has led to the frequent use of social media by many of us. Today, we interact, communicate and create our own means of happiness through what we see on Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat to mention but a few. While these social media pages have benefited us one way or the other, it is important that we understand that the harm it poses can also trigger stress and anxiety.
How Does Social Media Affect Your Mental Health?
According to a research article, spending too much time on social media can make you feel lonely, and can as well exacerbate mental health issues like anxiety, self harm, depression and even suicidal thoughts. The Social Media affects our life in many ways. It could give us some insecurities about our appearance, lead to Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), cyber-bullying and also increases chances of isolation.
According to another research by a study at the University of Pennsylvania, social media usage increases feelings of loneliness and its reduction can improve your overall well-being. Conversely, about 10 percent of teens are subjected to bullies on social media and also offensive comments. For instance, twitter has been known to be the home of banter and painful truths, the abuse on twitter leaves many twitter users some lasting emotional scars. Social media has been designed to always snatch our attention, keep us online and have us check our phones repeatedly for notifications and updates. Social media is almost like gambling in the sense that it is becoming an addiction for many of us. When you receive a like, a share, or a positive reaction to a post, it can trigger the release of dopamine in the brain, the same “reward” chemical that follows winning on a slot machine, taking a bite of chocolate, or lighting up a cigarette. For instance, the more you receive engagements on your post, the more time you want to spend on your social media pages even when your other activities will be affected.
Taking a Toll On Your Mental Health: How Do You Know?
As humans, we're all built differently, our body system makes the reaction to the frequent use of social media different. As such, to know if you're being impacted by your frequent social media visibility, One, there is a vicious cycle surrounding how the unhealthy use of social media which can create a negative change on your mental health,
Such people tend to shift their attention to social media whenever they feel depressed, stressed and anxious and mostly think of it as a way to relieve stress
There is a level of dissatisfaction, FOMO and inadequacy that comes with frequent use of social media which in turn worsen your mood.
The Next Step After This!
Reduce your time online, go read your favorite books, go cycling, visit old friends, check your old library, travel, explore, go shopping with all your good friends and do all the things social media has kept you away from. There is so much joy to derive from not holding your phone. Additionally, you can use an app to track how much time you spend on social media daily. Furthermore, you can turn off your phone when you're home.
And this brings me to ask you, have you ever gone on a social media break, have you paused for a minute and say to yourself that you won't be on WhatsApp for a month. If you haven't. The time is now to take that bold step!
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” — Anne Lamott
Dear reader, while many of us enjoy staying connected on social media, it is important to note that its excessive use can fuel anxiety or depression. Your Mental health is as important as your beautiful heart. So if you have to, take a break. I hope this helps. Gracias!
See you next month.
Wow, this is very insightful , to think that Social Media can actually harm your Mental State, this piece will surely be of use to me. Great job Molara🤙
Good job Khadijat! I enjoyed reading this. I decided to restart crocheting and reading at the beginning of this year and it has been very wonderful. Sometimes, I still struggle with decreasing my social media time but we’re all learning and trying aren’t we? Anytime I realize I’ve spent over an hour scrolling on TikTok or Instagram, I tell myself that’s enough internet for the day and I think about doing something else that doesn’t involve my phone.