Social platforms have become a part of people’s lives since the development of the internet. While the internet brings speed and convenience, it can also bring negative emotions such as anxiety and depression.
Browsing the lives of others online can lead to jealousy and dissatisfaction, as it is not an accurate reflection of people’s real lives, which contain both shadow and light.
Such involuntary envy and comparison are the main causes of low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety.
People with FOMO are always afraid of missing out on information, so they constantly check their phones, regardless of the time or occasion. Many people are aware of the problems social media poses, but they can’t help it.
Social media was designed in the manner that “sort of give you a little dopamine hit every once in a while, because someone liked or commented on a photo or a post or whatever. And that’s going to get you to contribute more content” to get more likes and comments, he said. “It’s a social-validation feedback loop ... exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology.”
But when people are away from social media, they still need to face the real world. In this way, people are constantly switching between virtual beauty and reality, and in this comparison, people feel bad about living in reality.
Tall apartment buildings have shattered the historical communities of close-knit neighborhoods, and for the young generation, the frequency of social interaction at a young age is far less than that of their parents, Jie Zheng, a neurologist at The University of Tokyo told The Epoch Times.
Expert Tips
Zheng made several suggestions on getting out of “cell phone dependency.”“Set reasonable limits and talk to teenagers about how to avoid social media interfering with their activities, sleep, eating, or schooling,” she said.
“Work on improving your social confidence and social courage. Don’t compare your weaknesses to the strengths of others. Too much self-esteem and blind inferiority are neither desirable.
“Don’t be hard on yourself. As long as you do your best, it doesn’t matter if you don’t succeed. Learn to talk to your family and friends about your worries.”
Reducing the use of social media and encouraging teenagers to interact and communicate with their friends face-to-face leads to greater happiness and lower risks of anxiety and depression, Zheng stressed. This is especially important for adolescents who are susceptible to social anxiety disorder.
“Most people are constantly using their cell phones from the moment they wake up in the morning to the moment they close their eyes at night,” Yeh Ya-Hsing, the director of the John Tung Foundation Mental Health Center in Taiwan, told The Epoch Times.
“Most posts on social media platforms use questions, describe ongoing events, or share life stories to attract others to browse and respond, but spending too much time on it often affects daily routine and physical and mental health.
“The reduction of time can start from half an hour,” Yeh suggested. “Set up reminder alarms to gradually increase the length of ‘reduced use time,’ while planning arrangements for free time, such as helping family members pick up ingredients, dinner cooking, doing household chores, watching videos, or even being in a daze.
“Try reducing the use of social media. Tell yourself that it will increase your sense of well-being and inject new fun into your real life,” she said.
