by How can social media habits affect mental well-being?
Strategies for a balanced digital life
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The term “Digital Nutrition” was coined by a Sydney-based psychologist, Jocelyn Brewer, to describe the impact of social media habits on our mental well-being and to provide guidance on how to develop healthy digital habits and improve our digital well-being.
“Digital Nutrition” is a guilt-free philosophy to guide the intentional and intelligent use of digital platforms and the conscious consumption of digital content.
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How can social media habits affect mental well-being?
Studies investigating the effect of social media use on mental well-being have produced mixed results. While some studies have clearly mentioned the possible detrimental health effects of digital platforms, others have highlighted their positive effects.
The mental health consequences of social media use depend primarily on the type of content and time spent on different social media platforms. An experience of cyberbullying or exposure to violent, sexual, and hate content can certainly have serious negative impacts on mental health, especially among children, adolescents, and young adults. In contrast, the social and emotional connections developed through online platforms can potentially improve the mental health of minority communities who often experience health disparities and chronic health conditions.
A growing body of evidence indicates that people who try to compare themselves to digitally enhanced images online, or compare their popularity on social media with that of others, are more likely to experience negative mental health consequences, such as anxiety and depression . Similarly, social media use has been found to raise body image concerns and increase the risk of fatal psychiatric illnesses such as eating disorders.
In contrast, certain positive social media experiences, such as having an online conversation with someone during lonely hours or healthy social networking, have been found to be associated with happiness, meaning and purpose, physical health and mental, character and close social relationships. and financial stability.
Regarding the impact of time spent on social media, evidence indicates that online exposure of around 1 to 2 hours daily could benefit children and adolescents. However, negative effects are more likely in cases where social media use overshadows other activities that promote well-being, such as physical exercise, sleep, and offline social activities. Therefore, for safer use of social media, it is important to provide children and their families with clear scientific information about the positive and negative consequences of their use.
Doomscrolling is a relatively new area of mental health research, which defines an endless scrolling habit of social media users to obsessively search for depressing and negative information. A sharp increase in the habit of doomscrolling has been observed among social media users during the most recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The unknown nature of the pandemic might have instigated people to get as much information as possible about the disease through the internet and social media, which is mostly negative news.
Constantly feeding the brain with negative news can significantly increase the risk of anxiety, fear, stress and depression. Endless scrolling can also disrupt your sleep cycle and deplete your energy. On a physiological level, endless scrolling is associated with a constant supply of stress hormones such as cortisol to the brain. Persistently high levels of stress hormones can deplete the brain and body, leading to physical and mental health problems.
What is Digital Nutrition?
Strategies for a balanced digital life
The first step to improving digital well-being is to understand the pattern and frequency of digital practice. A variety of screen time apps are available that can be used to set a time limit to monitor time spent on various digital platforms. It is important to restrict digital habits to specific and most appropriate periods of time.
It is important to feel or observe the sensations that are generated in the body when faced with different digital content or social networks. If a person consciously pays more attention to negative news, it is more likely that the body is sending signals to motivate them to slow down. Therefore, a person must be aware of how a particular content influences his or her feelings while scrolling endlessly.
Compulsive scrolling on digital platforms is another bad practice that can potentially affect digital well-being. People often spend time on social media or other digital platforms without even giving it much thought. Thought stopping is a useful cognitive-behavioral technique that is typically used to stop obsessive or anxious thoughts. This technique could be useful in avoiding compulsive scrolling behavior.
If digital habits are disrupting mental well-being, it is essential to disconnect from screen time through mindful movement. Breathing exercise and meditation could be helpful in avoiding digital distraction and relaxing and refreshing the mind from negative thoughts. Physical exercise also helps increase the brain’s level of serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter that improves mood.
Children and adolescents are more likely to be easily influenced by social and digital media content. Guidance from parents and teachers on how social media works and how social media activities should be perceived could be an effective strategy to prevent its negative impact on the mental health of children and adolescents. Parents should also provide a safe and empathetic environment for their children when it comes to social media use.
Parents should also involve their children in alternative extracurricular activities to maintain a balance between online and offline life. Another vital strategy is to monitor the content that children are exposed to every day. It is important to promote educational, inspiring or fun content and minimize negative content for children.
