March 16, 2025
Guidelines for managing social media so you can enjoy the benefits and avoid harmful effects.
There is a danger with social media that it can dominate your life and become overwhelming. The rise in mental health issues is often attributed to social media as we can feel isolated and the lives of others is portrayed as far more fulfilling than our own.
But used sensibly and social media can be a force for good and fulfilment. It can stimulate a feeling of belonging, a sharing of information and staying in touch with long-distance relatives and friends.
Just be mindful of the fact that something you communicate can be taken the wrong way by the recipient. What you may have meant in jest may not be read that way and thus cause offense.
Sometimes use an Emoji because it can say more than words and the recipient will appreciate that you have read and responded to their posting.
It’s out there. How often do you hear of a posting being deleted because what was said was soon regretted? If you are an active participant, you are public.
Belonging to a group in Whats App, for example, is very rewarding because as with any instant messaging, you can have a rewarding conversation.
Be wary of how many groups you belong to, because it can get out of hand and you spend most of your time responding to notifications. Some groups can be dominated by one person who constantly posts, so if you have to leave a group don’t feel guilty about doing so. Just say you are involved in too many groups or just need a time-out and will rejoin later.
It’s also easy to feel left out or undermined by the comments of others. You can belong to too many groups and always feel obliged to contribute, so much of your time is dominated by constant interaction with your device.
Have certain times of the day when you switch off your phone or leave it alone. Like emails, some notifications from social media are just irrelevant yet we feel compelled to respond.
Using different notification sounds does help to distinguish the source and whether you want to respond. The benefit of a regular time out is that you focus on something else without being distracted.
It’s also very easy to feel inadequate when reading the posts of others or how great their life is compared to ours. Remember we are far more likely to post a positive version of our life than a negative one. How often in conversation do we make a boastful comment or one that presents us in a good light and that is often how we like to reflect ourselves on social media. So many of the young have mental health issues. My son was so afflicted for 18 months and much of that was fuelled by an obsession with social media.
The most popular social media sites are Facebook, YouTube, What’s App, Instagram, and Twitter.
Social media revolves around apps and we have recommendations for apps you may find useful.
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