Are you handling your social media accounts or are they handling you?

Humans are social beings, so it’s natural that we need social interactions to feel that we belong to the human race and that we are normal and?accepted. Also, some studies suggest that people with stronger social connections are better adjusted, have lower anxiety and stress levels, can cope with depression much better, have generally a strong immune system and are quick to recover after an illness. Conversely, socially awkward and isolated individuals have lower self-esteem, lower empathy and higher risk for depression. So people are constantly seeking a human connection and interaction. However, unlike before when interactions involved communicating with one another in person, these days you can have conversations by merely typing across the tiny keys on your devices and almost an entire lifetime of interactions can take place online.?

The craving for a connection is so much that it is shocking that teenagers spend as long as 9 hours daily on social media platforms. Some statistics even suggest that they check their accounts up to 100 times a day. Some hours are going for messaging. The question arises if all those hours spend on social networking are worthwhile? Are they building “real” connections through these social media platforms??

Social media is a great tool as such, but it depends on the user how she/ he is using it. That makes all the difference. An Internet connection is what anyone needs to connect with another person anywhere on this planet. People can share pictures, share voice notes and even make video calls and see their loved ones. Information is transmitted across the world in real time with little or no delay. Digitally, the whole world feels connected where distances don’t matter.?

But there is a downside to this, too. When people spend so much of their waking hours on their devices including social media, they gradually become cut off and isolated without even realising it. They do not realise that they have been chatting with someone far away but without any physical contact or proximity, sitting in one corner of their room all alone. The moment people lift their heads up from the devices and look around, they realise that they are in fact all alone and by themselves. Soon they experience the following:

·?????????Decreased social?communication ability

·?????????Decreased ability to hold real-life discussions

·?????????Decreased ability to read body language

·?????????Decreased ability to remembering things (as memory shrinks)

·?????????Decreased patience with long articles (too used to very short statements)

·?????????Decreased ability to comprehend the deep meaning

·?????????Decreased attention span?

But social media need not be such a downer in your life. You can dictate how social media ought to work for you rather than social media dictating your life.?

But for that, you need to ask yourself: What do I want from social media? What is the purpose of my accounts there? What does it mean to me, what kind of friendships do I seek at social medias? Whom do I actually want to be connected with there? When and how much time daily do I want spend on social media platforms??

Next step then, make notifications work for you, do not work for them. Switch them off and become the queen / king of them again. Means, whenever you decide to spend time for that.

If you can find the answers to these, the “likes” on your account will have?more?meaning and you will not be a slave to it. So go ahead and post some pictures and comments and check your likes, but be mindful of the real human connections you need to build and nurture.? Nothing can replace a physical meeting. Try not to replace them and use social media for you, not against you. Spend e.g. every day 30 minutes of connecting to your online network and meet people physically for 2,3 hours every week. Be mindful when you go on social media and have a clear intention / goal.

Care about yourself the most & Happy usage of social media!

Jasmin

#socialmedia #socialmediamanagement #socialanimals #needofcontact #connection #sociallife #needofsociallife #mentalhealth #manageyourtime #timespend #checkinglikes #communication #friends

Read also: Stress How to make it work for you!