by How can social media habits affect mental wellbeing?
Strategies for a fair digital life
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Sydney-based psychologist Jocelyn Brewer coined the term “Digital Nutrition” to describe the impact of social media habits on our mental wellbeing and to provide guidance on developing healthy digital habits and our digital wellbeing to improve.
“Digital Nourishment” is a guilt-free philosophy to guide business and intelligent use of digital platforms and conscious consumption of digital content.
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How can social media habits affect mental wellbeing?
Studies investigating the effect of social media use on mental well-being have shown mixed results. Although some studies have clearly stated the potential adverse health effects of digital platforms, some studies have emphasized its positive effects.
The mental health consequences of social media use mainly depend on the type of content and time spent on different social media platforms. Experiencing cyberbullying or being exposed to violent, sexual and hateful content can certainly have serious negative mental health consequences, particularly among children, adolescents and young adults. In contrast, social and emotional connections developed through online platforms may enhance the mental health of minority communities that often experience health disparities and chronic health conditions.
A growing body of evidence suggests that people who compare themselves to digital images online, or their popularity on social media with others, are more likely to experience negative mental health consequences, such as anxiety and depression. Similarly, social media use has been found to increase body image concerns and increase the risk of serious psychiatric illnesses, such as eating disorders.
In contrast, certain positive social media experiences, such as having an online conversation with someone during lonely hours or forming healthy social networks, have been found to be associated with happiness, meaning and purpose, physical health and mental, character, social intimacy. , and financial stability.
In terms of the impact of time spent on social media, evidence suggests that children and adolescents may benefit from online exposure of approximately 1 – 2 hours per day. However, negative effects are more likely in situations where social media use overrides other activities that promote well-being, such as physical exercise, sleep, and offline social activities. Therefore, for the sake of safer use of social media, it is important to provide clear scientific information to children and their families about the positive and negative consequences of their use.
Doomscrolling is a relatively new area of research in mental health, which defines the habit of endless scrolling of social media users to obsessively seek out depressing and negative information. A sharp doomscroll-like increase in social media users has been seen during the latest pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The unknown nature of the pandemic may have encouraged people to get all the information they can about the disease through the internet and social media, which is mostly negative news.
Constantly feeding the brain with negative news can significantly increase the risk of anxiety, fear, stress and depression. Endless scrolling can disrupt the sleep cycle and drain energy. At the physiological level, endless scrolling is associated with a constant supply in the brain of stress hormones such as cortisol. High levels of stress hormones can exhaust the brain and body, leading to physical and mental health problems.
What is Digital Nutrition?
Strategies for a fair digital life
The first step towards improving digital wellbeing is to understand the pattern and frequency of digital practice. There are a variety of screen time apps available that can be used to set a time limit to monitor time spent on different digital platforms. It is important to restrict digital habits to specific and more appropriate periods of time.
It is important to feel or observe the sensations generated in the body in response to different digital or social media content. If a person consciously pays more attention to negative news, it is more likely that the body is sending signals to encourage him/her to put on the brakes. Therefore, one should be aware of how a particular content affects him/her while scrolling endlessly.
Compulsive scrolling on digital platforms is another malpractice that can affect digital well-being. People often spend time on social media or other digital platforms without much thought. Thought stopping is a useful cognitive-behavioral technique commonly used to stop obsessive or anxious thoughts. This technique may be helpful to avoid forced scrolling behavior.
If digital habits are affecting mental wellbeing, disconnecting yourself from screen time through mindful movement is vital. Breathing exercise and meditation can be helpful to avoid digital distraction and to relax and refresh the mind from negative thoughts. Physical activity also helps increase the brain’s level of serotonin, which is a mood-enhancing neurotransmitter.
Children and teenagers are more likely to be more easily influenced by digital and social media content. Guidance from parents and teachers about how social media works and how social media activities should be detected could be an effective strategy to avoid its negative mental health impact on children and teenagers. Parents should also provide a safe and empathetic environment for their children regarding the use of social media.
Parents should also engage their children in alternative extra-curricular activities to maintain a balance between online and offline life. Another critical strategy is to keep track of the content children are exposed to on a daily basis. It is important to promote educational, inspirational or funny content and minimize negative content for children.
