I know the irony you are still scrolling to read this but there is an important message in this post, make sure you read it fully.
Limitless navigation through a lot of feeds and content is exhausting. We don't even realize how much we absorb or are really interested in. Over-exposure to digital data is already showing so many mental and physical illnesses. It takes all of our time which needs to be spent wisely and more so in the real world. It becomes a habit and ultimately addiction.
Demerits of this addiction:
The effects I feel on my own mental health when I scroll through infinite social media loop
1. Decrease attention span-I just want instant engagement and a new attractive stimulus that is waiting on its way down in the feed. After a few minutes of scrolling through the feeds, I have noticed that I get very impatient and I am not able to read a whole article or a full story that someone spends time and effort writing.
2. Guilty-Time is the most precious commodity in our lives, let’s face it. I won’t do anything amazing with my life if I spend it laying on the couch, like a plant, and scrolling through social media. This start-up won’t start by itself and this blog will not create itself alone. All of the great things need our input and our time.
3. Self-esteem takes a dip-Even though I am an adult man and I should know better I still get this itchy feeling of jealousy when I scroll through social media and I compare myself negatively against others. This is how the human brain works, you do not look how much better you are than those people you only look for what you lack in comparison to them. The worst part is that I even feel jealous about the things I don’t really want nor desire. I guess it is FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out).
4. Depression-Too much time on social media whether good or bad news is proven to link with depression
What exactly happens:
Chances are you’ve picked your phone countless times when you are bored and have begun scrolling to occupy your mind. Every time you got bored, boom, phone, again and again, and again.
This creates new paths in your brain: you re-wire your brain to just have this reflex.
Another thing for example when you do exercise or studies …..you get a sense of well-being, it is due to the fact of the release of neurotransmitter serotonin and dopamine because of these neurotransmitters, you get a reward in form of pleasure and feeling of good well-being.
Now by scrolling, you see posts consisting of your favorite topics, and endless scrolling just keeps you hooked, your neurotransmitters are just exhausted, then you can’t get the same reward, the big thing is that you can’t even concentrate on your work. Of course, we know that how big social media is a distraction!
Ways to minimize it:
Step 1: Make it uninteresting.
Unfollow all of your favorite pages. Reduce the number of news feeds. This is the indirect method to achieve the goal.
unfollow accounts that didn’t bring any new knowledge.
How this will help?
- Opened Instagram at 12:30 - Okay saw some stories/new uploads from people, etc.
- Opened again at 12:35 - No new feed/story.
- Opened again at 12:40 - No new story.
- Opened again at 12:55 - Only one new thing.
Trust me it will lose its charm. ( This was my day 1)
Step 2: Find a mentor.
Your mother or your father and even your friend will be the best person to keep track of how much time you spent on social media.
The mentor can also remind you to uninstall the app from time to time.
Step 3: Find some new hobby
Keep yourself engaged. This will distract your attention from your addiction and open doors for new learning opportunities.
Step 4:Set your 'Social Media Time' One of the best ways to lessen your phone screen time is to set a 'social media time every day.
Step 5: Don't sleep with your phone. When you keep your phone near your bed, it ignites the scrolling routine.
Step 6: Delete the least valuable apps on your phone.
Step 7: Engage with people instead of being just an observer.
The most important step, believe you can do it.
.jpg)