It’s the end of a busy day, and you’re getting ready for bed when you hear your phone chime and see the screen light up. You reach for your phone and see a notification from Instagram, so you click on it. A friend posted about their weekend getaway- you like it and leave a comment before continuing to scroll through your feed. Before you know it, a couple of hours have passed by. As social media users, we’ve all been guilty of scrolling through it, but it’s important to recognize how it can affect your mental health. Today, we’re constantly exposed to technology. With countless technological devices at our fingertips, consuming digital content has become a daily part of our lives.

Social media has revolutionized the way we connect and communicate with each other, which can make it hard to disconnect from our devices. While social media can be a way to connect with friends and family, there is growing evidence that excessive or unconscious consumption of these platforms can negatively impact your mental health and overall well-being. Unconscious consumption is when you scroll mindlessly through social media out of boredom or to pass time, without thinking about the type of content you’re viewing or who’s providing it. You can protect your mental health while using social media by limiting your screen time, limiting the type of content you follow, and carefully selecting the accounts you follow.

The impact of social media on mental health

Spending too much time on social media can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation. By reducing the amount of time you spend on social media, you can focus on building genuine, face-to-face connections. Spending time strengthening your personal relationships with friends and family fosters a sense of belonging, emotional support, and confidence that social media interactions often lack.

Social media often presents an idealized version of reality, with carefully curated posts that can lead to feelings of inadequacy and social comparison. People often use social media to post their best moments, making their feeds look like a “highlight reel” of cool experiences. When you compare others carefully curated highlight reels to your real life it’s easy to feel like you aren’t doing enough or that you’re behind in life compared to the people that you follow. This leads to feelings of stress and a distorted sense of self-worth. It’s important to be mindful of the type of content you’re consuming and remember that social media isn’t an accurate portrayal of day-to-day life.

This state of constant comparison acts as a breeding ground for negativity, and can affect your body image, self-esteem, and confidence. By taking a step back from social media, you can focus on self-reflection, introspection, and personal growth. This break allows for greater self-awareness, increased self-acceptance, and the opportunity to develop a more authentic and confident sense of self.

Tips for limiting your social media usage

Limiting your social media usage can feel like a daunting task, because it’s become a part of our daily routines. However, you don’t need to completely cut out social media - you can start with small changes and see how it impacts your mood. Below are some tips you can follow to help monitor and limit your social media usage:

1. Set up time blockers on your phone for social media apps

2. Schedule your wi-fi to shut off at a certain time every day

3. Set a timer on your phone while you use social media

4. Leave your phone outside of the bedroom at night

How limiting social media can enhance your mental health

Below are some of the top ways that limiting your social media usage can positively impact your mental health:

1. You’ll have more time to invest in hobbies and activities

2. It can promote imagination and self-growth

3. It can give you time to reflect on your own needs and wants vs what others are saying you should be doing, resulting in an authentic connection with yourself

4. It can help you develop a stronger sense of self-esteem

5. It can reduce stress and anxiety levels

6. It can help improve your sleep

7. It can reduce feelings of loneliness, as you’ll have more time to invest into real-life connections and relationships

Though social media has advantages, it's important to notice when it's making your mental well-being worse rather than better. By taking a break or reducing the time you spend in the virtual world and investing time in self-care, authentic connections, and personal growth, you can achieve a healthier balance in your life. If you find that these steps aren’t working for you and you’re still struggling with your mental health, it might be time to seek help. Our counsellors can help you strategize and offer support to help improve your overall emotional well-being.

Information for this blog post was provided by registered social worker, Stephanie Warner. Learn more about our counsellors.