Social media has become inseparable over the years for me because it has shaped a whole aspect of me. It has shaped how I communicate and even how I have been able to present myself to a lot of social media platforms available right now, which I believe every one of us is familiar with. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and many others have allowed people across different parts of the world to interact and create amazing moments together.
But that is just one aspect of it. Even though social media has fostered communication across every part of the world, I will say it has also had an impact, whether positive or negative, on some people's mental health and even self-esteem, which I will be communicating today.
As I began to spend more time on social media, one of the first things I noticed that was affecting me was the fact that I began to compare myself with other people. I will say that is major because I am too intoxicated by the achievements of people I see on social media. Well, at first, it started as fun looking at what people are achieving daily, but as time went on, I began to feel inadequate or, let me say, unaccomplished.
Well, I will say it is not only me that is feeling that. Social media has been able to create another version of reality which, most of the time, is not real. The unfortunate thing about it is the fact that a whole lot of us are always carried away by those realities. There are a whole lot of factors that contribute to those fake versions of reality, like edited photos, videos and fake flaunting around of achievements that are not true.
I am sure that I will not be the only one in this shoe; there are times when social media can be addictive. The notifications, likes, and even comments can create this thing called the dopamine loop, and this is what makes a whole lot of people to be addictive. Before I knew it, I began to find myself checking my phone every single time; at first, it looked good, but as time went on, I discovered I was getting glued to the social media world more than ever.
There is also one side effect I noticed that social media caused me, and that is mental exhaustion. This I was able to trace back to the information overload that I was receiving. Of course, every one of us wants to stay updated with the relevant information across the world. But this also comes with consequences because before you know it, you will be consuming so much negative news which can lead to mental exhaustion at the end of the day.
Now let me create this balance; of course, other aspects of social media have numerous benefits. One of the significant benefits I will say I have enjoyed is the fact that it has helped me to connect with individuals across the world. I think I mentioned it earlier in my post. By doing so and by getting positive feedback, it has also helped my mental health positively and, at the end of the day, helps my self-esteem.
There is a way positive feedback does to your body, and that is, it boosts your self-confidence every single time. One of the things I have been able to learn while using social media is being able to create a balance between using it and not affecting my mental health and self-esteem. I must confess.
Many of us must practice mindfulness when trying to interact with social media. In as much as social has so much power positively, I must confess that it can also affect you negatively and that is why you need to draw the balance. Know how to use it to affect you positively and know how to avoid using it negatively. It is very important so that at the end of the day, you will not make the wrong mistake that a whole lot of people make. Always remember that social media has both a negative side and a positive side, Depending on how you use it at the end of the day.
As I conclude, so much social media has to offer to us. It can boost your self-esteem and help your mental health, but it can also affect it negatively. The most important thing is just for you to learn how to draw the balance between both, and how you can do that by constantly practising mindfulness when using it. Know what you want to use it for and what you don't want to use it for at the end of the day.
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