How many hours do you find yourself endlessly scrolling through Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest?
Maybe you have a love/hate relationship with social media. People posting updates seem to have endless time and money to travel the world or spend hours in the gym to get that “perfect” body while you’re stuck in an office and come home to housework and bills. You keep clicking and scrolling to keep up with their lives only to leave you feeling a sense of self-pity. You find yourself jealous of their “perfect” life yet you can’t get enough… does this sound familiar?
Social media impacts your positivity and often makes you look negatively at your own life by comparing yourself to others. As you scroll through it, social media takes us on a roller coaster of emotions. How does that affect your positivity about your own life and what can you do to prevent this negativity of comparing yourself to others?
A study done by the Psychology of Women found that when women are exposed to what the media deems as “ideal” they are more likely to think negatively about their own bodies. The media teaches women what’s expected and what the “norm” is in society. This is also true for men. Although their norm may look different from women, they are held to high standards as well. Social media can trick you into thinking that you must have the best house, most expensive car, nice clothes and travel the world to be happy. And often times you are disappointed when we can’t reach these “ideal” standards of today’s society.
These toxic messages probably aren’t going away anytime soon but you can “detox” from social media to increase positivity and happiness.
6 Steps to Start Your “Detox”:
1. Turn off all social media 2 hours before bed.
2. Reduce your social media check-ins to 3 times per day – morning, noon, and evening.
3. Keep your phone or computer out of your bedroom and use an alarm clock instead of your phone.
4. Turn off your phone or pop-up posts at work.
5. Have a book to read while lying in bed or just lounging around the house.
6. Engage in active conversation – both speaking and listening.
By adopting just a few of these ideas, you can reduce your screen time and increase your positivity about your own life. Take the challenge. You may be surprised at the spare time you have and will be more grateful for your new positive outlook on your own life!
1. Perloff, Richard M. “Social Media Effects on Young Women's Body Image Concerns: Theoretical Perspectives and an Agenda for Research.” Sex Roles, Dec. 2014, link-springer-com.ezproxy.uwsp.edu/article/10.1007/s11199-014-0384-6.
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