Navigating Social Media: 5 Reminders for Your Well-Being
By now, most of us understand that social media can have contradicting impacts on our mental health, depending on how we use it. In some ways, social media offers us a sense of community and allows us to stay connected. Yet, social media can also increase comparison culture and have negative impacts on our perceptions of ourselves. In this blog, we’ll highlight different things to remember when engaging with social media to ensure that negative outcomes are challenged.
5 Reminders when Scrolling Through Social Media
1. What works for others may not work for you
When scrolling social media, it can feel like we are constantly being bombarded with information on what we should do, to improve every aspect of our life. There’s always new information on what the best diet is, what products we should use, and even content on what mindsets we should engage in.
Take all the information you see with a pinch of salt. Remember that content produced on social media is often over-generalized. Not everything is going to resonate with you, and that’s okay. If you see something on social media that isn’t sitting right with you, scroll past it. Be a critical viewer, and use your personal experiences as opposed to random advice to guide your choices.
2. Your appearance is not a trend
The hashtag #glowup has been viewed over fifteen billion times on just Tik-Tok alone. Social media can make us obsess over our appearance. There’s this constant pressure to “look better”. And with every new trend (think: clean-girl era, mob-wife, soft-girl aesthetic), there’s always another expectation to keep up with.
If social media makes you feel like you aren’t good enough, you’re not alone. It’s easy to forget that beauty trends come and go, but you are not a trend. Your worth isn’t defined by how well you fit into the latest aesthetic—true confidence comes from embracing yourself as you are.
3. Social media is not real
As we scroll, we start to compare ourselves to other people. We’re comparing ourselves to a fragment of another person, the aspect that they chose to share online. If you were to look at your own social media feed, would you feel like it’s a completely accurate version of who you are in real life? For most people, probably not.
When you find yourself in the comparison trap, remind yourself of what social media truly is. People rarely post content online highlighting their insecurities, or bad days. And if they do, it was still edited or calculated to some extent. Remembering that social media is not always real, can allow you to scroll through the content while offering yourself self-compassion through the process.
4. Be mindful of how certain movements or trends impact your mental health
Almost weekly, there is a new trend on social media. Let’s look at the possible impact of some of these:
Met my Younger Self for Coffee
People are using this trend to reflect on how they’ve changed throughout the years. For some, this can be cathartic and healing. For others, watching or participating in these videos can bring up feelings of sadness. For example, this content may be hard to engage with, if you feel like not much has changed or if reflecting on your childhood is difficult for you.
Candy Bowl Trauma Dump
Another recent trend involves friends taking turns sharing personal traumas while making a candy bowl together. While humor can be a helpful coping mechanism, this type of content may not be for everyone. It’s important to recognize when certain conversations feel supportive versus when they may be re-triggering.
The Body Positivity Movement
In recent years, there has been a shift in the way social media discusses body image content. To some extent, the discourse now is surrounding body-acceptance and self-love. For some individuals, this may serve as a relief. But for others, the pressure to embrace self-love can feel overwhelming, or even performative. You may internalize guilt, or feel like you’re different from everyone else.
These are just a few of the many ways social media can impact your mental health. So be mindful. Check in with yourself, about how a certain trend makes you feel. If something is triggering, grant yourself permission to take a step back.
5. Choose the accounts you want to engage with
Follow accounts on social media that bring you joy. Take back the control. When you view content that doesn’t sit right with you – make the active choice to disengage. Follow accounts that advocate for moderation as opposed to extreme change. Follow people who make you feel good about yourself, as opposed to making you hyper-critical.
It could be helpful to reflect on your relationship with social media. Do you feel like it’s healthy or are there some things you want to change? Reminding yourself that not everything you see online is real can help you use social media in a way that supports your well-being—without letting it define your worth.
Ready to prioritize your mental health and well-being? MSC Therapy offers specialized psychotherapy services for young adult women in New York and Florida. Mollie provides compassionate, client-centered, and supportive therapy to help clients navigate anxiety, low self-esteem, disordered eating, body image concerns, OCD, relationship issues, dating, school or career stress, perfectionism, and life transitions. Services are available virtually, allowing for convenient and accessible support. Reach out now to take the first steps toward a more balanced life.