Have you ever been scrolling through social media and noticed a sudden shift in your mood? Have the posts you have seen make you feel worse about yourself? If so, you are not alone.
Many of us experience feelings of self-doubt after spending time on our social media accounts. Maybe you feel envious of the perfect lives others seem to be living, or you start to wish your body looked more like those of popular celebrities and influences.
Whatever the case may be, there are many aspects of social media that can harm our mental wellbeing, especially when it comes to body image.
A recent study found that “thirty-two percent of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse.” Facebook also found that fourteen percent of boys in the United States said Instagram made them feel worse about themselves.
As social media is becoming more popular and we are spending more time on it each day, it is important to make sure it is not something that brings you down. Making sure this time spent online leads to a positive mindset is key to your overall wellbeing.
One way to move towards this mindset is to complete a cleanse of your social media accounts. Doing this can make sure that time spent online helps you move towards a healthy lifestyle.
Here are a few ways to complete a social media cleanse of your own:
- Set your intentions.
- Think about the reasons why you use your different social media accounts. Do you enjoy talking to friends and family? Finding a new restaurant to try out? Learn something new? Make a list of these reasons and remember them when considering whether to follow or unfollow an account. If an account does not match up with one of your intentions, unfollow it!
- Remove negative accounts .
- Look out for specific pages or people to unfollow if they tend to post content that makes you feel bad about yourself. Focus on your reaction to looking at what that account posts. If it tends to be negative, it may be time to let that account go.
- Explore new content.
- Social media is a great resource for finding wellness content, especially about body image. The body positivity movement has become a major trend over the last few years and there are a ton of creators that specialize in creating body acceptance content. Make sure to explore accounts and hashtags recommend for you to help you find new creators to follow.
- Utilize all the platforms features.
- Most social media platforms have some way to limit the posts that you see from certain accounts. Take some time to look into features such as muting certain accounts, turning off comments, and hiding likes. All of these can make social media a more positive space by removing some of the stress that comes along with using it.
- Take a break from social media all together.
- Try limiting the time you spend on social media each day and exploring different ways to pass the time. There are so many ways to increase your physical and mental health by staying offline such as spending time outdoors, trying a new activity with friends, or even completing tasks on your to-do list.
References:
- https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/09/social-media-attention-alcohol-booze-instagram-twitter/620101/
- https://www.wholelifechallenge.com/5-ways-you-can-make-social-media-a-positive-force/
-Kayla Miedrzynski, Body Project Student Assistant