Social media is a great platform to connect with family, friends, and peers. And then there\u2019s the downside \u2013 the comparison game. It\u2019s easy to lose that sense of connectedness with others in a sea of influencers pushing products and companies using direct advertising to make money. Yet this is the environment we live in. I think it\u2019s time for a change – in the name of mental health.<\/p>\n
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Anyone else feeling the pressure to pick the perfect filter, snap the best angle, and create only captivating captions? When did social media turn from creative freedom into a perfectionist\u2019s playground? How did we get to the point where 100 likes from others meant more than our own self-worth?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s time to post that selfie, ditch the filters, and fire back at the voice of doubt inside your head that makes you think twice before posting that picture. It\u2019s time to stop constantly refreshing the screen for likes, and to start posting what you want, and then walking away for a while. It\u2019s time to stop comparing yourself to others on social media and feeding into what the #paidads want: poor body image, low self-esteem, and jealousy. Who\u2019s with me?<\/p>\n
Below are a few additional tips to consider when thinking about healthy social media.<\/p>\n
1. Need extra hours in the day? Don\u2019t let social media be a time suck.\u00a0<\/strong>Within the last ten days of being on my phone I\u2019ve spent a total of 19 hours on social media. 19 hours, y\u2019all! That blows my mind. Nineteen hours of my life was spent looking at pictures, videos, and posts on my phone.<\/p>\n I can think of a million better things to spend those 19 hours doing: taking my dogs on a walk, reading a good book, and spending time with my family. Instead, I chose to spend my valuable time on social media. I love social media, but I understand that it can become an unhealthy habit to be constantly attached to my phone.<\/p>\n Try setting a time limit for the day or only getting on at a certain time of the day. One method I personally love is logging out every time you\u2019re done looking at social media. This makes you really commit to wanting to get back on social media since you\u2019re forced to log back in. The small window of time where I\u2019m prompted to log back in forces me to pause and consider if I actually want to spend my time in this way. Many times, I make other choices\u2026Did I mention how cute my dog is?!<\/p>\n 2. Quit Comparing.\u00a0<\/strong>If you\u2019re trying to avoid comparing yourself to others you can simply unfollow or mute Instagrammers that you compare yourself to. It\u2019s hard to make comparisons to someone who no longer frequents your feed.<\/p>\n
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