Happy & Confident Social Media Use

12/16/22

Samara Rothstein

MSW, LSW

In today’s world, social media use is relevant, normal and many would argue – necessary. In the blink of an eye, it became part of everyday life and relationships. There are differing perspectives about the benefits and harmful effects of social media use, and what I have found to be most helpful in talking about social media use is intentionality. It’s about conscious use, in ways that feel good and avoiding ways that don’t.

 The highest value comes from these types of use (in my opinion):

1. It connects us to the important people in our lives (especially those far away).

2. It effectively keeps us up to date on world news.

3. It provides the space and tools to unleash our creativity.

4. It quickly teaches us new skills and helpful hacks.

It makes sense for us to want to be part of the connection that social media provides and to access all of the information it has to offer, and it is possible to do that while keeping top of mind our intentionality. What I mean is, being very aware of how we are using social media – and ensuring our choices and actions are aligned.

Start by stepping back to reflect – what actually feels good to you? And on the flip side, what ways might you be using social media that might not feel so good? We all fall into traps - that we might realize later - are harming our mental health and/or our productivity. To protect your self-esteem, make a conscious choice to discontinue falling into some of the harmful traps of social media. For example, analyzing images of your peers and over-comparing yourself to them is a trap many of us fall into, but with intentionality, you have the power to disengage.

Another example of a common trap is spending an extended amount of time on social media before we realize just how long we have been scrolling. While doing so, we’re flooded with endless pictures and videos. Apps like Instagram and TikTok are designed to pump out more and more content that is similar to what we’re interacting with to keep us engaged. You may notice this has happened when you are watching influencers showing a very curated version of themselves or neverending ads for the newest material possessions. Or maybe your continuous scrolling is keeping you engaged in a painful experience, such as seeing when friends have gotten together without including you.

Using social media without intention can lead to us comparing ourselves to others and feeling dissatisfied with our own lives. This can lead to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, loneliness and more. Additionally, our devices have gotten to know us so well that they continue to feed us more and more of the content the more we interact with it (with no care in the world for our mental health).

 So, how can you use social media intentionally, in ways that feel good for you?

1. Remember that what you see is curated and not necessarily real! People are only showing a piece of their lives, and more often than not, they are sharing their happy and confident moments.

2. Notice how much time you’re spending on it, the content you’re taking in and putting out, and how you feel afterwards.

3. Limit and draw boundaries around your own social media use, choosing exactly how you will use it and staying committed to your mental health.

4. Follow accounts related to your hobbies and interests that make you feel good (i.e, cooking, baking, sports, inspiring quotes, animals, nature, etc.) Utilize the “hide” button if there are things you don’t want to interact with as much, but you don’t want to unfollow the account altogether (people have different reasons).

5. Post Post things because they make you feel good, rather than looking to impress others. A plus - this can have a positive impact on the people who follow you! Interacting with authentic content can make them feel good too and positively influence their social media use.

Remember, you are in control of how often you check social media, how long you spend on it, what you post, who you follow, and the content you interact with. With intentional social media use, you have the power to nurture and protect your mental health!