September: No Social Media

The Challenge: No Social Media

Why?

Social media use may increase feelings of anxiety and depression, specifically in teens and young adults.

The addictive nature of social media activates the brain’s reward center by releasing dopamine. This is a “feel-good chemical” linked to pleasurable activities. When we post something, our friends and family can “like” it, giving us a boost of dopamine. However, when we don’t get that boost or approval, it can impact our sense of self and adequacy.

Filters: Social media heavily focuses on physical appearance. Many social media platforms – such as Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok – provide users with the option to use filters on an image. Filters can be great for a laugh, but the ability to easily alter physical appearance and hide imperfections can create false illusions. Constant exposure to altered images can also lead you to feel self-conscious and dislike the way you look.

FOMO (Fear of Missing Out): The use of social media increases feelings of FOMO for many people. Checking in on your friends and family through social media may make you feel that others are having more fun or living better lives than you are.

Social media is often called a “highlight reel,” displaying the best parts of a user’s life. However, having access to other’s highlight reels can increase our own feelings of dissatisfaction with our own day-to-day. This can impact self-esteem, trigger anxiety, and make us want to use social media more. FOMO can also compel users to constantly check social media so that they don’t miss out on what’s happening.

How?

This one can difficult, especially when many of us have to engage with social media for our jobs. Even if you can’t disengage completely, limiting the amount of time you spend on social media will likely have positive mental health benefits.

You can start slowly, but unplugging an hour a day. You can set designated times for social media, most devices have settings that will allow you do this. You can reduce the number of social media platforms you engage with by removing your profile from the ones that make you feel worse about yourself or the world.

While social media has become a huge part of many people’s lives, remember it’s not been a constant in our lives for all that long. It’s not impossible to remember a time when we didn’t interact with it. Rise to the challenge, and you just mind find you’re not missing all that much if you don’t participate in social media.