3 things that are more dangerous than your social media privacy policy

Recently, there has been a lot of focus in the media on the controversy surrounding privacy for users of Facebook and various other social media sites. But there are many more dangers we face by entering the realm of social media.

1. How it affects our mental health (a lot)

We have heard it all before – Depression, anxiety, body disorders, social fears, addiction, heartbreak, bad mood, happy mood – social media can influence it all. The control that one post has over our mental state is incredibly powerful, and something that should not be accepted as readily as we are allowing.

2. The way it controls what we think about

Much like the thought police in George Orwell’s novel 1984, social media has the ability to control how we think. It shows us what we want to see, which reiterates things we believe, rather than making us question our biases. For example, if I think I have to lose weight, I will probably see ads for detox teas or weight loss apps. Instead of negative thoughts passing, our thoughts are confirmed by what we are constantly shown on social media.

3. The fact it stops us from seeing the world around us

Social media eats up so much of our time. More importantly, it has replaced the time we used to use to unwind, think, use our imagination or just take in our surroundings. Next time you are sitting on the train or bus, or walking down the street, take note of all the people not on a device (it’s a lot easier to count than those who have their eyes engaged on a screen). We now use our time to passively scroll through feeds instead of reflecting on ourselves, our day, or what is around us. And even when we do use our time for other things, like having a coffee with a friends or going for a walk, there is this lingering urge to post about it on your Instagram story or share your thought on twitter.

So what can we do about it? All you can do is be aware of how it influences you. Things affect us all differently, so take a moment next time social media makes you feel a certain way and question yourself. Put your phone away. Look around you and think for yourself. Start a discussion with your friends, don’t necessarily call them out on their social media habits – but talk about how it affects you to open up a dialogue around issues they might also have with their usage.

Sources:

Image credits:

Featured – http://studiomurugiah.com/social-media-mental-health/
Second – https://medium.com/lab-work/5-way-social-media-affect-mental-health-175c812a9512
Third – https://www.mindful.org/what-is-your-phone-doing-to-your-relationships/