Are You Drowning in the Sea of Social Media?

Are you 'drowning' in the Sea of Social media?

Do you often say, ' I don't have time?'

Have you linked the two questions above to spending ages on WhatsApp, FB, TikTok, Insta etc?

Research (2024) shows that the average man spends 2 hours 24 minutes daily. That amounts to over a third of your leisure time! It also means that some will spend a lot more time becoming 'square eyed'.

That term used to apply to watching TV, but is far more relevant to being glued on your cellphone's, laptops, iPads etc.?

Those hours 'lost' on social media often eat into 'work time', or will affect it adversely.

It can erode your quality of work. It may even mean that you are addicted to 'dipping' into TikTok, YouTube etc

2.49 BILLION people, almost a third of the worlds population are regular YouTubers, so if you are addicted, you are not alone.

However, is your work or home life suffering because of it?

Let’s start by looking at some of the ways that social media can have a direct impact on your life, whether at work or your relationships:

• Job prospects. At this point, it’s likely that millions of people have missed out on job opportunities or lost their current jobs due to something they said or did on social media. Employers often comb through applicants’ and employees’ former posts. If they find something offensive, or something that indicates a lack of character, it could prevent you from landing that job, or progressing your career.
• ESTA applications.?(US Border control forms)?and on other important applications, you may be prompted for your social media information. Officials review this information to evaluate potential security threats. Most people don’t have to worry about this, but if you’ve made even vaguely threatening or concerning posts in the past, it could affect your ability to travel.
• Legal matters. Similarly, your social media posts can be used in legal evaluations. For example, your posting history may be used against you in a court of law as you battle for custody of your child, or as you’re trying to prove your character.
• New relationships.?When you meet someone new, do you pull up or try to find their social media information and start scrolling through it? They’re probably doing the same to you. For better or worse, your social media is responsible for shaping the first (and second) impressions of almost everyone you meet.

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Mental and Emotional Health

You also need to be concerned about the ways that social media might be affecting your mental health, and the ways in which you think:

• Abuse and harassment. One of the biggest problems with social media is its proclivity for allowing abuse and harassment. Many people experience some variation of cyberbullying or harassment from individuals intentionally trying to make them feel bad. Those who aren’t direct targets can still be negatively affected by slurs and offensive language used by other users in public comment feeds.
• Anxiety and loneliness.?There’s also sufficient evidence to suggest that despite its intention to make us more connected and more confident, social media use actually stokes feelings of anxiety and loneliness. Why is this the case? There are many factors that are likely to be in play here. For example, you may suffer from a “fear of missing out” (FOMO), witnessing other people have a good time when you’re on social media and constantly wanting to check social media when you’re off it. Due to the open transparency and constant accessibility of social media, you may also feel anxiety related to a lack of privacy. On top of that, social media often gives us the sense that we’re socializing without actually allowing us to socialize the way we do best—with in-person, direct conversations.
• Echo chambers. Users on social media tend to self-isolate in some respects, unfriending and unfollowing sources who say things they don’t agree with and seeking out people who do agree with them. This facilitates the development of echo chambers, where only one narrative is constantly recycled. In turn, this limits our ability to remain open minded to new ideas, causes us to demonize people we don’t agree with, and in some cases, allows us to continue believing untruths. During the Covid pandemic particularly, social media created chaos in many peoples lives, as many harboured strong feelings one way or the other.

I know how addiction to the media can affect your life. In January 1997, as I moved out of a relationship and home, I made a decision to give up TV. I had previously used it as an escape. I have never watched regular TV since then.

?Plonking yourself in front of a TV can be a way to have 'cave time' for men, meaning having time alone to recover from stresses at work.

However, your partner may feel ostracised if this happens regularly. That happened to me, back in 1996-7. It can also be a way of escaping from facing issues in your relationships.

In 1997, social media wasn't a problem because it didn't exist, certainly not as we know it now. As mentioned in the above points it can contribute to problems both at work and at home.

For over 30 years, I have helped people calm their minds and helped them focus on important issues.

I now choose to work with men, helping them become more aware of excessive stress. It's not uncommon for men to bury themselves at work. The excuse is 'providing for the family'.

Sometimes, too late, men find that their relationships have become distanced. Your children no longer want to spend time with you because for years you 'didn't have time' for them.

I've designed a 9-week Stress-Busting, Health-Boosting Blueprint to enable men to heal Body, Mind and Soul. It's my passion and vocation to help men take the simple steps I have created to transform from a stressful life to one of more ease, joy, peace and fulfillment. At the same time it helps them become more focussed and productive at work, as well as make quality time for family and relationships. This is especially for men who don't feel they are reaching the goals they want to or business they deserve.

I would love to know if what I have written resonates with you. Please comment below.

#stress #health? #social media addiction? #work-life balance? #calm mind? #meditation