If scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms is doing you more harm than good, maybe it’s time to log off and take care of yourself offline.
According to two health experts, social media can wear out an individual mentally, encourage unhealthy habits, and threaten their security. If you’re active on these platforms almost everyday, take heed of these four reasons why social media can be bad for you.
It’s stressing you out
The pressure of having to keep up with all your friends 24/7 can stimulate an increase in stress hormone cortisol. This state of disorientation may cause short-term memory loss or lead to depression.
Ma. Teresa Gustilo-Villasor, PhD, of Allied Mental Health and Lovie Hope O. Go-Chu, M.D., chief of Makati Medical Center Section of Psychiatry acknowledge links between social media use and increased incidence of mental health issues.
The experts explain, “Increased social media use has been associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, and psychological distress, particularly in children, adolescents, and young adults.”
And even if you haven’t noticed a spike in your stress levels, being on social media has also been shown to disrupt your sleep patterns. Many people spend one to two hours browsing their social media accounts before going to bed—valuable time that could be spent sleeping.
It’s messing with your self-esteem
Seeing everyone curate the best of their lives online can really weigh a person down. For starters, it could trigger a sense of dissatisfaction, especially when comparing everyone’s beautiful, filtered posts to your own life.
Dr. Gustilo-Villasor and Dr. Go-Chu reveal that irresponsible social media use can cause people to develop “a perceived lack in the quality or quantity of social support systems; a predilection for upward social comparison with seemingly superior others, leading to poor self-esteem and negative self-evaluation; a constant desire for positive peer feedback; and a susceptibility to cyber-bullying and online harassment,” which may later progress into a mental illness.
Social media, they say, can give people a false impression that they aren’t good enough.
You’re forgetting about real life
Have you heard of The Outside? It’s a lovely place on the other side of your door, which you don’t need Wi-Fi to access. Getting off social media opens you up to the wonders of real life, where you can nurture face-to-face relationships and pursue new interests.
Dr. Gustilo-Villasor and Dr. Go-Chu advise that social media use should be restricted to “consistent time limits and supervision for children and adolescents age 6 and older.”
In addition, being out and about means less time sitting down for extended periods, which doctors said can be dangerous for your health.
They’re invading your privacy
Social media can turn your digital life into an open book. Things like GPS, data tracking, and more keep tabs on you all the time. Even when you aren’t navigating a road, social media apps can still track your location.
What’s more, your social media profile is prone to being breached by third parties, which use people’s online activities to create targeted content, from regular ads to dangerous propaganda campaigns.
If these do sound familiar, it’s best to quit or at least ease up on your social media use. Don’t worry, it’s not like you’re disconnecting from family and friends.
Now, what?
Messaging apps are a great alternative for keeping communication lines open since they let you chat with your contacts. For instance, messaging app Viber lets you enjoy the perks of social media without any of their security risks.
On Communities, users can start massive group chats that connect them with people who share their interests. Users can also share photos, polls, news articles, and more without compromising private information. Those who get their news on social media, Viber Communities lets them subscribe to news agencies.
It also has Hidden Chats, which are stored in a separate section of the app that can only be accessed with a 4-digit PIN. Group Calls allows users to get real-time updates with up to five people.