Recently, I read an interesting piece from cheesehima.com where she discusses the different ways she is cleansing more than just her body.
In her article, she touched base on social media cleanse, and immediately it sparked an idea for me on the different ways in which social media can affect us. This overwhelming feeling with technology rears its ugly head into our daily lives making us feel numb, anxious and lonelier than ever.
Let’s face it: we live in an era where everything is at our fingertips, but at the same time we can feel so disconnected.
As a writer, it’s one of the most challenging issues for me. At times I want to completely shut off from everything and everyone, but at the same time I want to stay informed about the world and find creative inspiration and ideas for my craft.
I know what you’re thinking. Why not take the old school route and pick up a newspaper or a book instead? Listen, I’m way ahead of you. I do those things too.
But apart from writing, my job also entails working with social media. So as you can probably imagine taking a break is certainly difficult, but not nearly impossible.
If you feel you are facing a similar issue with social media, I commend you for acknowledging it.
Read on to discover the signs and solutions in which you can detox your mind and lift up your spirits while taking a break from social media!
—
1- It’s Affecting your Self-Esteem and Mental Health:
We live in a world where the number of likes determines one’s beauty or validation of being accepted. It makes me utterly sad when people become completely fixated on this idea.
For example, one of my friends would constantly check her phone to see if her crush had liked her picture on Instagram. She felt completely neglected and depressed each time he didn’t.
Listen I get it; as cool as it feels to get a like — you shouldn’t feel down because someone doesn’t like your picture back.
If you are going through this situation let me tell you something, STOP! You are beautiful. Don’t let the number of likes equate to the way you look and feel about yourself, and certainly don’t give technology or someone else that power to make you feel inferior or worthless.
But most of all, don’t lean into this virtual illusion and think that the number of likes or even a follow amounts to whether or not someone likes you in person.
—
Solution: If you are really feeling someone, tell them face to face or go out on a date with them.
Last time I checked we’re not robots…we all have thoughts and feelings so don’t expect for him/her to magically figure out via social media your sentiments for them.
Also, I recommend that you read my 11 steps to discovering self-love in order to boost your morale and truly find happiness.
2- It’s Getting in The Way of Reality:
We tend to photograph our meals and Snapchat our lives more than ever now, but are we truly living in that present moment?
Believe it or not, social media and the internet are making us more narcissistic. Are we even giving our full attention to our friends, family or significant other, or are we just living this fabricated life via social media to impress others?
Isn’t it absurd when someone hits you up and tells you let’s hang out I miss you, but then spends the entire date buried in their phone?
Do we judge ourselves harshly because our friends are living successful lives, getting married, engaged, are fit, or traveling around the world?
It’s easy to forget that the Internet is not real life and that many others are also probably hiding their insecurities and sadness behind photos, statuses and filters.
—
Solution: Put your phone away or if you are going out leave it behind. Truly take a break from checking your emails and social media outlets and enjoy what or who is in front of you.
When was the last time you went out and really spoke to someone without having your phone or any other technological device in your hands? Learn to have an intellectual conversation instead of being so hooked into celebrity gossip or on what the next person is doing.
Another alternative is to schedule a specific duration of time (I recommend 1 hr) to check on the rest of the world.
3- It Brings You Social Anxiety:
Sometimes we consume technology so much that we feel pressure to interact with others in real life.
Twitter, Facebook and texting are some of the ways that are ultimately making us feel less connected because they’re impersonal ways of communicating and require less effort.
As a result, we build up this fear and we become self-conscious of being scrutinized, judged, or embarrassed in public.
You may be afraid that people will think badly of you or that you won’t measure up in comparison to others; so instead you choose to isolate yourself which causes you look timid, quiet, or worse: stuck-up.
—
Solution: Take a deep breath and relax, acknowledge and accept that everyone is different. Remember that we are all human and no one is perfect.
Once you feel calm, then thoughts like: “What do I say next?” vanish because you have taken control of your fears and you have chosen to put your best foot forward.
When you realize that you’re probably not the only one who is nervous — that feeling of “all eyes on me” will start to fade away, and you will be able to go with the flow without feeling like you have to constantly force the conversation.
4- You Dress To Impress:
Are you dressing up and putting make-up to take a photo or a video, but going nowhere?
I am not going to lie I used to do this for the holidays, but I’ve stopped posting photos. Truth is I never did it to impress anyone else, I did it for myself because I genuinely wanted to look nice even if I was spending the holidays at home.
To be honest, I still dress up and I’m perfectly fine if I don’t post my photo online. But too often, I’ve observed women and friends in general who post because they want validation from their crush or the world and it shouldn’t be that way.
—
Solution: I am all for embracing yourself, more power to you because in my book we are all Queens! If this is the case, make sure that if you are dressing up and getting beautified, you are doing it for yourself. So that you can feel good!
Post that gorgeous selfie because you feel comfortable in your own skin, but don’t do it for the likes or to grab that guy’s attention because most likely you will be disappointed when you don’t receive that like!
5- You’re Buying Followers and Likes:
I think it’s safe to say that once you start purchasing followers and likes you really need a reality check, and I mean this in the kindest way possible.
The fact that you need to take REAL money out of your pocket to give yourself some sense of importance in a virtual world should set alarms for you.
—
Solution: It sucks that we get so much validation in our culture from the amount of likes and followers that we have on the internet, but let’s learn to give each other a reason to feel real value in real life from REAL PEOPLE!
Final Thoughts:
Overall, social media can affect us immensely. While it can be a great way to stay connected and informed, it’s also an easy way to compare yourself to others. I know that deep down we all care what people think of us. We all want to be liked and feel accepted.
However, the digital world has multiplied these sentiments, so it’s incredibly vital to take a moment for ourselves and unplug. Most people will never admit how much social media means to them and there lies the problem.
It’s not healthy nor beneficial to be under this constant blade of criticism or jealousy. Be kind to yourself and remember that you are your own person…a unique individual with your own personal journey!
Written by Astrid Sarmiento
