Social media consists of online platforms in which people can communicate with friends or family, as well as other people with similar interests. There are many social media sites. Commonly used sites include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. Although social media can have its advantages, always being on social media can be harmful in many ways.

Sleep Can Be Negatively Affected

Using social media at night can affect the quality of your sleep. You might see something that could leave you feeling anxious, envious, or sad. These feelings could keep you up at night. The continuous lack of sleep can be harmful to your physical health. Try to replace the use of social media with another activity. Meditation, reading, and stretching are a few activities that can help you fall asleep. Also, try to keep your phone or any technology away from you to keep you from using social media at night.

Special Moments Are Missed

You may miss the special moments in your life if you are always spending your time on social media. At concerts or sporting events, a lot of people focus too much on taking pictures and videos to later post on social media. Although it is fine to capture the moment, it is also nice to live in the present. At gatherings, you may feel the urge to go on social media. Try to talk to others instead. It is important to communicate with others in person, in order to develop your social skills.

You Compare Your Life to What You See Online

Always looking at pictures and videos of other people’s lives can make you start comparing your life to theirs. You may begin feeling envious or upset and think that you and your life are not as great. It is important to remember that most people only post their highlights on social media. They may prefer not to post when they are having a bad day or not feeling confident with themselves. For this reason, you don’t get to see the low moments of those people’s lives. Try not to compare yourself and your life to posts you see on social media.

Using Social Media Can Become an Addiction

Social media apps can be addictive. When you open a social media app, you never know what posts you are going to see. The element of mystery will keep you coming back. You may even subconsciously open the apps and scroll for hours.

If you think you may be addicted to social media, the following points can help you beat your addiction:

• Turn off your notifications

It can be very difficult to stay away from social media when your phone is always lighting up with new notifications. Turning off your notifications can help decrease the urge to always check what is happening online.

• Avoid using your phone at night and in the morning

Many of us have the urge to use our phones right before bed and check them right after we wake up. Before you sleep, keep your phone out of reach. This will help keep you from using it before going to sleep and picking it up after waking up.

• Find a new hobby

What did you enjoy doing before you had social media? Try to get back into old hobbies or find a new one! You could learn a new skill, learn to play an instrument, or even learn a new language. You will see how much free time you have when you aren’t scrolling through social media all day.

• Deactivate or delete your accounts

If you are having trouble fighting the urge to check your social media, you could temporarily deactivate your account or delete the apps off your phone. This is called a “digital detox”. If you think it is best, you could also permanently delete your accounts.

Resources

Avison, Phoebe, and Mia Mercado. “7 Easy Ways to Detach Yourself from Social Media.” Bustle. https://www.bustle.com/life/144893-7-ways-to-stop-your-social-media-addiction.

Deveraux, McKay. “The Dangers of Social Media for Teens.” Outback Therapeutic Expeditions. https://www.outbacktreatment.com/the-dangers-of-social-media-for-teens/.

nidirect. “Social media, online gaming and keeping children safe online.” https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/social-media-online-gaming-and-keeping-children-safe-online.

Vanas, Dylan. “5 Dangers of Social Media.” Entrepreneur. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/377940.

Ward, Isabella. “6 Ways to Beat Social Media Addiction.” Time to Log Off. https://www.itstimetologoff.com/2020/10/25/6-ways-to-beat-social-media-addiction/.