How to Keep Social Media from Bringing You Down

If you've ever found yourself feeling down or frustrated after scrolling through your social media feed, it may not be your fault. Social media is designed to keep us coming back for more, but it can also have some unpleasant side effects on our mental health.

The problem with social media isn't always the content we see--although this can certainly affect how we feel about ourselves and others--but that there's little space for reflection in between posts. The constant stream of updates makes it difficult to process what just happened before moving onto the next one, which causes people to spend less time thinking critically about themselves and their lives. This type of behavior leads to a lower sense of self-worth and an increased likelihood of depression because people are less likely to take time for self-reflection.

One study by the University of Missouri found that young adults who use social media compulsively were three times more likely to experience depression and anxiety, even when controlling for other factors such as religion and exercise habits. In a separate experiment, researchers from Lund University in Sweden found that people who used Facebook often had increased activity in certain brain areas associated with addiction. These brain changes were detected after only one week of using Facebook--less than an hour per day!

In addition, those who have negative interactions on social media are more likely to feel worse long-term. These experiences can affect your day-to-day emotional state, even if you were only scrolling through in the first place because you were bored and looking for a pick-me up.

Social media use is associated with increased rates of narcissism and decreased empathy. These personality traits often go hand in hand with depression and anxiety, which may increase users' susceptibility to mood disorders.

On the positive side, research shows that people who struggle with self-esteem issues may find support from social media networks. When used correctly, social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter can enhance feelings of social connection and help relieve stress by providing opportunities to connect with others. More so than any other generation before them, young adults are very focused on relationships. This is why seeing images of friends spending time together, celebrating events and documenting their day-to-day lives can make people feel more socially connected.

However, there are limitations when it comes to using social media for emotional support. For example, one study found that having conversations about personal problems online through instant messaging or chatrooms was related to depression compared to face-to-face communication. Researchers hypothesize this is due in part to the fact that talking with someone you're not actually physically near makes it difficult to pick up on nonverbal cues like facial expressions and body language--which let us know how someone else feels without even thinking about it. So what does all this mean? It's important not to lose perspective of what's really important in life--our relationships with the people around us. Social media is just one tool that can help, but it might not be entirely beneficial on its own.

Practical tips for keeping social media from bringing you down:

Limit your time online by setting a daily limit on how much time you spend scrolling or checking up on things. You could even sign out of some apps after certain hours so you won't waste any more time than necessary! This will give your brain a chance to process what happened since the last check-in and get ready to reengage with the world around you again. Try doing something else that's productive while avoiding overconsumption of social media outlets like Instagram, Facebook or Snapchat, which can feed your FOMO and decrease self-esteem. Monitor how you feel before and after using social media--are you feeling better or worse off than when you started? Engagement with social media can be a great way to boost mood, but too much use may not be beneficial for people who struggle with self-esteem issues.

Social connections on social media can enhance feelings of social connection and help relieve stress by providing opportunities to connect with others. More so than any other generation before them, young adults are very focused on relationships. This is why seeing images of friends spending time together, celebrating events and documenting their day-to-day lives make people feel more socially connected. However, there are limitations when it comes to using social media for emotional support as it may not be as beneficial as face-to-face communication.

As with any form of new technology, there are both positive and negative aspects to social media. It is up to the individual to decide how they want to use their time online and how it will affect them emotionally and psychologically.

People should set up their profiles as private as possible and use various tools such as blocking and muting features on social media to remove negative users from their feeds. That way, all posts are tailored toward the user's interests and liking posts won't cause as much stress going forward.

Overall, people should take a step back and reflect on how social media affects them before making any changes. If spending an hour or less per day browsing Facebook makes someone happier, there's no need to change anything! But for those who find themselves scrolling mindlessly without getting anything out of it, taking some time away from social media every once in a while may do them some good.