Social media can be utterly overwhelming at times – and nobody is immune from its negative effects. It seems like everywhere we turn; we’re inundated with heartbreak, trauma, and the overall sense that the world is going to hell in a handbasket. People who spend most of their time on sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter often report a fair amount of anxiety and depression.

When scrolling your feeds, you’ll undoubtedly come across images or videos that you can’t unsee, posts that are emotionally triggering, and adverts that make you feel inadequate.

Comparison of Posts with Others

It’s important to keep in mind that many people are very careful about what they post on their social media profiles. That seemingly effortless selfie that someone posts – which might make others feel ugly and inadequate in turn – is likely one of about 100 that they snapped. Many people who scroll through Instagram for inspiration forget just how much effort goes into making those images look perfect.

Feeling Less Lonely and Depressed

You might feel like you are missing out on knowing all the details about what is going on in everyone else’s lives, but ultimately, do you really need to know all of that? They worry that if they’re not kept in the loop, they’ll end up distanced from their community, not invited to functions, etc. Just because we’re friends with someone on Facebook, doesn’t mean that they’re obligated to invite us to their wedding. There are tons of Meetup groups in just about every niche imaginable, from wild food foraging to blacksmithing, LARPing, winemaking, and more.

Free Yourself

One especially negative aspect of social media is the ever-more-creative hate speech that’s slung around from all directions. It’s both distressing and depressing to feel that you can’t express your beliefs freely without fear of severe repercussions.

Less Overwhelmed and More Empowered

It’s estimated that the average person is exposed to more news in a single day today than a Victorian-era person would have heard about in a year. Knowing about all the horrible things going on around the world, every hour, of every day, is just too overwhelming. The ripple effect will get wider, as everyone who feels better and more empowered around you will help to empower and help others in turn.

Will become Non-Judgmental.

It’s surprisingly easy to judge someone for what they share on social media. An opinion, a photo, a piece of news… even their use (or misuse of hashtags) – they all have the potential to make us think poorly about that person. We can quickly allow the posts of others to influence how we think and feel about them.

As a final note, remember that you don’t have to quit entirely if you feel uncomfortable doing so, and you can always go back if you feel like you need or want to. Make this happen on your own terms, when you’re ready to do so.

Versuasion Pakistan – Fareeha Robert