Is the constant connection many of us have in keeping up with and responding to social media posts affecting our physical and mental well-being?
Technology has unquestionably improved and enhanced the lives of many people in a variety of ways, and many American adults and teenagers can’t imagine life without their smartphones that provide constant access to social media platforms.
In 2017, the American Psychological Association (APA) conducted a Stress in America survey that discovered that around 86 percent of Americans own a computer, 74 percent own a smartphone and 55 percent own a tablet. It seems reasonable to assume that those percentages have trended upwards since the results of that survey were announced. To that point, Facebook and Instagram recently announced a combined monthly user base of 2 billion people.
These days many of us constantly, if not obsessively, check our smartphones or other devices for updates on emails, texts and social media accounts. According to the APA, during an average day in the U.S., 65 percent of adults constantly check personal email, 52 percent and 44 percent check texts and social media, respectively, and 28 percent say the same about work emails.
The APA adds that stress levels among constant checkers are considerably higher than for those people who do not engage with social media as frequently. As an example, 42 percent of constant checkers worry about the effect of social media on their physical and mental health, compared with 27 percent of non-constant checkers.
The APA says that more constant checkers feel disconnected from their family, even when they are in the same room, and more than one third of constant checkers say they prefer to communicate with friends and family via social media instead of in person.
Those who spend an inordinate time exploring social media tend to worry too much about what others are reading and thinking about them and not spending as much time as they maybe should focusing on themselves. In seeing posts we don’t like, disagree with or are offended by, we sometimes dwell on them and get upset, which adds to our stress levels and adversely affects our mental health. Try limiting the number of people you follow on social media and become more focused on your own ambitions, goals and achievements.
Placing less emphasis on social media may also help you save important relationships with friends and family members. Getting into disagreements or fights with family or friends over relatively inconsequential things on social media adds considerably to one’s stress level and should be avoided.
You should also be aware not to post anything on social media that could get you in trouble with current or future employers. It’s wise to avoid placing items on social media like past photos that somewhere down the line could have disastrous effects on your life and mental well-being.
If you feel that social media is commanding too much of your attention, focus on doing better as a student or with your job. You might also want to go to a gym and work out or spend quality time with family members or friends and enjoy communicating with them face-to-face.
Moderate and smart usage of social media can be enjoyable, beneficial and harmless, but consider taking a break on occasion and set aside some time to focus on your own life. You may find that spending less time on social media comparing your life to others and trying to convince friends and strangers to see things your way contributes a great deal to your overall happiness and well-being.
The Sandra Eskenazi Mental Health Center, Indiana’s first community mental health center, provides comprehensive care for all types of emotional and behavioral problems, including severe mental illness and substance abuse. For more information, call 317-880-8491.
If you have concerns or questions about your health, the health of someone in your family or are in need of a primary care physician for yourself or someone else, please call 317-880-7666 or visit www.eskenazihealth.edu/doctors.
Dr. Nydia Nunez-Estrada
Family Medicine Physician at Eskenazi Health Center North Arlington