Contents:
- Medical Video: Is Social Media Hurting Your Mental Health? | Bailey Parnell | TEDxRyersonU
- Impact of overuse of social media for health
- What is the reasonable limit for using social media?
- The key is balance
Medical Video: Is Social Media Hurting Your Mental Health? | Bailey Parnell | TEDxRyersonU
Imagine a day without smartphone or internet connection. What would you feel about it? Restless? There is something missing? Itching to open social media?
Yes, most people today cannot survive a day without accessing their social media accounts. The 2016 Global Web Index survey shows the average person spends two hours each day just to open social media. In fact, using too much social media is not good for health.
So how long should social media play still be reasonable in a day? Here's the review.
Impact of overuse of social media for health
Another survey conducted by Retrevo revealed that 11% of the study participants claimed they could not refrain from opening social media every two hours. This number is certainly not so surprising, seeing the habits of people today who can not be separated from their respective cellphones.
According to a number of studies, overuse of social media has a negative impact on one's mental health. One of them is research from the University of Pittsburgh. This study proves that people who are overactive using social media every day have a risk of depression up to three times greater than those who rarely use social media.
Another study by Case Western Reserve School of Medicine also linked social media addiction to reckless behavior, especially in adolescents. According to the study, adolescents who are addicted to social media are 3.5 times more likely to do risky things without thinking. For example smoking, drinking alcohol, and having sex.
What is the reasonable limit for using social media?
Using social media wisely and responsibly means limiting its use so as not to disturb your daily activities. You also have to be very clever at filtering information to avoid the risk of mental disorders such as anxiety and depression.
The experts themselves have not determined how long exactly someone can play social media in a day. Because, everyone has psychological conditions and different emotional reactions to the content of social media.
However, you really are not advised to spend up to two hours a day using social media. A psychotherapist from the California School of Professional Psychology, Philip Cushman, recommends that you limit the use of social media by half an hour to one hour per day. Later, if you are accustomed to getting out of social media, you can limit it more tightly, which is only when you have free time.
The key is balance
Remember, that does not mean you are prohibited from using social media at all. Social media is also possible, providing various benefits such as maintaining friendship. So, the key to using reasonable social media is balance. That is, do not let social media interfere with your daily productivity and relationships.
You are the one who is able to control the open habits of social media, isn't it smartphone You. So it does not mean that if there is an incoming notification, you must immediately open and reply at that time. Especially if the contents are not urgent.
