How do social networks affect anxiety disorders?
Social networks are virtual spaces that serve to connect users, some of the most famous are Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Reddit. Nowadays, hardly any person is immune to the influence of social media.
But how does it affect the younger population and other age groups?
People diagnosed with an anxiety disorder often have low self-esteem, poor problem-solving, and a strong desire to be accepted in or on social media. The combination of the above traits can create a fertile ground for experiencing unique stressors when using social media. Today, young people discover technology and the virtual world earlier, and many adolescents are a particularly vulnerable group. Individuals use social media with varying amounts of emotional and behavioral attachment that can have varying consequences for mental and psychological health.
˝Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will.˝ — Suzy Kassem
It is quite certain that our well-being is affected by who and how we spend time, and what is clear when we look around us is that most people are spending more and more of that time in the digital world. Research dealing with the relationship between mental health and social networks seeks to examine how much time individuals spend on social networks, in what way and for what reason, and how it is related to some indicators of mental health (self-esteem, social support, life satisfaction) or mental illness (loneliness, anxiety, depression).
How to recognize mental health problems on social networks?
We all start from the assumption that people who post pictures with friends on social networks have a better and more active social life and are less prone to depression. Also, the greater the number of posts, we can conclude that the person is open to new experiences, which again excludes mental health problems.
It is important to know that if we have already been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, we should find the cause of it. When we discover the cause we should focus on our goals no matter how difficult it is for us in those moments and we should not allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by anxiety. In this case, it means that when we experience a failure or when we are unable to do something, we should not tell ourselves that it is all because of anxiety. In this way, we tell ourselves that we have no way out of the situation, and at that moment we become even more anxious, then we are reformed by the feeling of dissatisfaction and sadness. Now that we’ve learned a bit about this popular topic, we want to make people aware of ways they can deal with social media anxiety or how they can get rid of it altogether.
Anxiety disorders are on the rise, how can we help ourselves?
When was the last time you took a break from social media? As in, fully disconnecting, logging out of apps, and deleting them from your phone? If your answer is “Never,” then you may need some time away from your screen.
Here are 5 tips on how we can help ourselves when we feel anxious due to the use of social networks:
- Take a walk.
A walk is always a good idea. Regardless of whether you have an anxiety disorder or not. Just half an hour of walking a day can help you get rid of accumulated stress, and make you feel better and more satisfied. Also, in addition to mental health, walking will help you to introduce healthier habits.
2. Focus on your real-life friends.
Social media can be a great way to keep up with what your long-distance friends and family are up to. However, social media likes and comments don’t always provide the same interpersonal connection as a conversation over the phone, video chat, or even text messages. Focus on those real-time conversations, and use social media as a secondary tool.
3. Take a break from social media.
Deleting social networks, deactivating for a few days or a social media detox for a month can also help you focus on other things that are not related to mobile devices or social networks. In this way, you will ensure that you will not spend your free time pointlessly, but will direct it to something better, and more fun for you.
4. Use exercises to reduce anxiety.
One of the basic exercises that can help you is to be in a sitting position, your legs are at a 90-degree angle firmly on the ground, you are holding a solid object in your hand (it can be a stone), you are holding a stone in your left hand and you are holding onto it with your right hand for the middle part of the abdomen. You need to achieve breathing from the belly, when breathing from the belly you should feel your hand rising slightly. The stone in your left hand indicates the weight you are carrying, inhale for 5 seconds and then exhale for the same amount of time. After a few repetitions, you will feel the weight you feel in your body and mind slowly disappear, and the stone in your left hand will also become lighter. In this way, you will relax your mind and negative energy.
5. Do something you’d like to do but never did.
If you’ve ever thought you’d love something, but something else is holding you back, now is the time. Leave yourself only half an hour in the day to plan the activities you dream about. It can be a trip, hanging out with friends you haven’t seen in a long time, visiting your parents, going to the cinema or something similar. Remember, little things matter and little things make the world go round, so look around and don’t forget to be important to yourself.
If you want to know more about this topic, you can watch some good Tedx talks, and one of them is below.
Make every day a great day!
