“Back in my Day Son, Social Media Took Over my Life…”

Let’s time travel back a few decades ago, when you didn’t start your day by thinking about the three most important people in your life. That’s right, the three people you have a Snapchat streak with. Back in those days, university students went to school and had to stress out about due dates, thesis statements and class attendance. I couldn’t really tell you what other factors caused stress during this time because my university career started in 2015.

Now in 2017, everything seems much easier. We got the Internet and phones to do the work for us right? That lecture you couldn’t wake up for? No worries, the prof will post the slides online in a day or two. Is there a textbook you don’t want to buy? Look it up online, there’s probably a PDF file somewhere, and if you‘re too lazy to look, someone will post the link on the class Facebook group.

It seems like we’ve all become lazy and passive, so why would we have any mental health issues, let alone stress?

Many university students are currently suffering mental health issues and social media has become one of the main reasons for them. If not treated with care, social media can become addicting, and why wouldn’t it, if we are constantly pressured to follow and like our friends’ or celebrities’ photos. Our addiction to social media can keep us from getting the sleep we require, the physical activity we need and may get in the way of our productivity. It’s not only the time we waste on social media that is bad for us, but the stuff we are consuming.

Social media is a place where people put on a fake presence that makes their life seem perfect and it creates a need for approval and admiration from others, in the most vain way possible.

Instagram is a museum of the amazing things in people’s lives, but it never shows the bad, realistic parts of them. When we consume so much of this, our self-esteem begins to decrease. For example, Victoria’s Secret models. Their photos are always flawless. Every single post looks like it was taken in some magical destination and they look like golden goddesses. EVERY. PHOTO. I’m not bashing these ladies; I think they’re beautiful and confident, but it’s not realistic. They don’t wake up like that, they wake up looking like a hot mess just like everyone else. The difference between our morning rituals and theirs is that they have a full hair and makeup team to get them ready for the day. But, when they post that stunning selfie, the only thing we think about is we wish we could look like that.

It’s also very difficult to stay away from. Apart from how addicting it becomes, we are expected to be on social media and have an online brand. The Internet is now used to hire people, find jobs and help do background checks. We also need to stay informed of the world around us, and social media is faster than a newspaper. So, a huge challenge is how to find the balance between all these things and still find room for self-care. How do we build a brand without becoming a vegetable who only looks at screens? Should we limit our social media use just for professional reasons? These are all questions that add pressure to our everyday lives and since we are the first generation handling these types of problems, no one has the answer yet.

I’m not an expert of course, but I have a couple tips that help me focus on self-care rather than the amount of likes on my last photo:

1. Get up in the morning and do something that’s good for you.

I find that going to the gym, even if it’s a short workout, helps my mental health and keeps me grounded. But, this activity could be reading, having a cup of tea, meditating, the list goes on.

2. Try to leave your phone in another room.

When I’m having dinner with my parents or doing school work, I keep my phone in a separate room, so I can spend some time away from it and stop thinking about the virtual world.

3. Realizing everyone doesn’t have to know about everything.

We feel a pressure to document and share everything, but sometimes we can live in the moment and not think about social media for a second or two.

I’m hopeful that we can use social media as an opportunity to grow in a positive way. I want to be able to learn how to use technology and social media in a way that it benefits myself and others.