Does Social Media Make you Anxious and Is It Killing Young People’s Dreams?
This grabbed my attention as I listened to a radio program where they were talking about a child who hang herself because she was bullied on Snapchat by her peers.
As a mother to a teenage son and now a young adult woman, I can say I have walked the tight rope of being a too strict mom, a Godzilla and best friend wrapped in one often times unwelcome package for my children.
Yet I know that package has kept them focused on what matters and hopefully grow into their life purpose! And also I have come to see Social media as a Blessing, as opposed to what some people call “The devil’s tool!”
I know it is a Blessing by the grace!
But, What Is Social Media Anxiety?
According to experts, it is similar to Social Anxiety Disorder and is a mental health problem. With Social media anxiety, just being away from a social media platform e.g. Snapchat, Facebook, twitter etc. can cause severe anxiety and panic!
Or feelings of Distress related to the use of social media!
People with social anxiety disorder are very prone to this phenomenon and it doesn’t discriminate between young or old. Parent or child.
New research by the Priory Group suggests, that websites/apps like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat are fueling anxiety among parents… So, the problem is not limited to children or young people!
But how do they create the anxiety, after all these sites are meant to be social platforms, building community and accessed by people above the age of 15. In other words young adults and full-grown adults?
Weird thing is, a 15-year-old is not considered able and adult enough to stay on their own by law in UK. Why then would the law allow these platforms to lower the adult age to 15. Accepting them as old enough to handle digital content that could be harmful to their mental well being?
THAT IS WHAT Triggers anxiety in the parents…
Parents cannot control what their children can see or are fed on these platforms. Peer pressure means parents are driven to give their children things like mobile phones…to keep up with the Johnses or for personal communication and safety! This was our case.
That’s why I literally was always the Godzilla on my children accessing these platforms. I had their login details as well… Yep don’t judge!
With stories of teenagers self harming because their so called friends didn’t like their posts enough or have been nasty to them on social media…YET they still keep going back and panic when their phone is taken away…A parent had to take note!
Could you have Social Media Anxiety?
CAUTION: Understand that we are NOT Mental Health experts. If you feel anxious, you cannot sleep, heart racing or palpitations, feeling breathless, mind racing or disoriented. Or however your anxiety is manifesting and you are truly worried. Please seek medical advice immediately!
What we share here are personal research, plus experience as parents. And I Julie Syl did go through a phase in my life when I definitely had some challenges. Facebook became the platform I went to hide and Not take control of my life, but also a source of some kind of anxiety. I would panic if I didn’t wake up in time to post and play Zynga games, which I was playing against other people globally…Crazy huh!
Thank goodness for Paul who grounded me and helped me get through that phase. It wasn’t easy coz I was in denial of the addiction!
So, here is what we know and have noticed… Some people cannot handle the unrealistic expectations of fun and family life that many people expose on social media. This is what Social media presents:
Many people show photos of themselves living the life, some cal it the Laptop lifestyle. Photos like they are always on vacation, eating out, in exotic places,… Having fun with no care in the world, etc. Best foot forward and all that jazz…
Of course, everyone wants to put their best foot forward! Yet over 5/10 parents feel inadequate when faced with images of picture-perfect families from their so called “friends” on facebook.
Some feel positively depressed…like they cannot ever achieve that. People share photos, blog posts, and videos, with hashtags like #babygoals #bodygoals #familygoals #hubbygoals #wifeygoals #instakid #instababy etc…
These too add to the feeling of inadequacy for many people… I am not saying people shouldn’t share their fun lives, after all I do right here on Pkjulesworld too!
I am saying that sadly, others may not be able to handle it…
They may just feel like “They are not good enough!” Example: If someone took ages to respond to my private message, that got me anxious. So instead of calling the person up and we chat, I’d be feeling like maybe they are upset with me for some reason. OR worse still, they may be judging me because I dont have a job! This was me, I used to feel like that circa 2010-2012! I did talk about this inside of my book “Journey Without Limits.” Instead I cooked, stuffed my face, I cleaned hard, I played Zinga games on facebook and Prayed like crazy…!
So understand that, however helpful a post or blog maybe, its been reported that over perfect airbrushed images and posts have lead to increase in depression and feelings of inadequacy by many parents!
IMAGINE what that could do to a young, often times insecure teenager, allowed to be on social media?
Parents want to be the perfect parent…Question is, what does perfection as a parent look like?
Pretending to be coping is just wrong.
Question is, what does perfection as a parent look like?With Facebook live video, Instagram TV, YouTube live-streaming, Snapchat airbrushed perfect photos etc. more people feel the need to show up looking like Beyoncé on social media.
Personally, having gone through what I did. I prefer to show up as Me…No filters, no extra special effort, just Julie Syl helping people change their lives!
See, I am so grateful for being a Mom who also works from home. Isn’t it an amazing thing? Therefor, allow me to share a realistic picture of parenting and work at home balance.
I know it is achievable to have that balance and not feel suicidal because Mrs Jones shared her images of her vacay in Barbados and shows up in live videos like she just walked off Vogue magazine…
That’s not normal life and that’s not how Mrs Johns lives her life, we should understand this! That way we can avoid social media anxiety!
I totally appreciate that parenting can be challenging for many who find it overwhelming, exhausting and even stressful. (It doesn’t come with a How-To Book for most does it, duh.)
So, for many experience is the rough teacher. And comparing themselves to others is the killer!
Today allow me to share my experience as a mom of two; how I have been able so far to keep my children grounded and not become social media anxiety victims!
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How to Help your Child to AVOID becoming a Social Media Anxiety Victim
Since we as parents are happy to gift our children smart digital gadgets like mobile phones. We have to know they will download FREE APPS like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, Messenger, WhatsApp etc.
So how about you….
#1. Be the Parent and Friend they May Not appreciate today!
As a parent who knows how deep the Social Media addiction and rabbit hole could go. And the anxiety that comes with feeling crappy every day…
I insisted that they add me as a friend on any platform they are. I didn’t care what they thought. For me, their personal safety and mental health is better than a hurt ego!
Every evening I would visit their special platforms and check out what they posted and also see what they have been tagged in!
In my humble view, I am the parent here to guide, support and help them grow into a happy, balanced, healthy individual. So are you my friend!
Stop wanting to be your child’s peer. And BE the parent; if you allow them on social media platforms, monitor their actions.
Stop wanting to be your child’s peer. And BE the parent[RELATED: 7 Things a Teenager Shouldn’t wear on a Flight!]
#2. Monitor their Internet access.
Daily at 9pm anyone under the age of 18 is Internet off and lights out! Our children did not get phones till they were 14. Even then, purely as communication tools for after school activities!
No internet access on the phones, i.e. no “data bundles.” They could only access the internet on the home Wi-Fi!
Meaning we are able to limit the time they are online and what they get to see or share.
Understand that they also have extracurricular activities 4 days a week! Yes, I am willing to pick and drop for their own peace of mind! So this may be had for a single parent, unless they work from home or do shift work!
The lesson was embedded so deep our daughter goes for footie, tennis, high jump even now as a university student…after class! She can drive now thank goodness and sometimes picks and drops her brother!
This brings me to the next tip….
[RELATED: 11 Things NOT to Forget when Traveling with Children.]
#3. Get your Children Busy OFFLINE!
Now it doesn’t have to cost you a penny in extra curricular activities. If you get to be at home at school pick up time, take your child to the pack and run, ride a bike, create fun games you can play together at home for at least 30 mins. Exercise for you too …yippee! 😊 Then it’s time to take that shower//bath and do some homework together right?
Prepare dinner together talk about their school day, what was fun or good about it, always encourage them to find good in their day. If anything bummed them out, ask what it was, WHY they felt that way. How else could they look at it…
Get them to find it easy to talk to you and share their experiences with you. You become their go to person their trusted friend… while being a boss parent too!
Become your children's go to person, their trusted friend…
Don’t judge them. LISTEN or they will talk to someone who doesn’t have their best interest at heart, yet pretends to listen on Social media!
We also got our children involved in faith based activities at our local Parish! That has been a Godsend, because they love serving and growing in their faith! This may not be for you…It worked for us!
#4. For Parents who work long Days
If you are at work every day all day when your children are out of school. It can be difficult.
I know because for 8 years our children went to child minders or after school clubs! Often times from 8am to 6pm during holidays!
Here is what we did then:
Before we chose a minder or club, we asked to be shown the activities our children would be exposed to that stimulate their minds or got their body moving.
We always asked the minder to NOT let them sit and be minded by the TV. We were mindful of what they watched so we liked to make sure they weren’t exposed to stuff we hadn’t vetted! .
It was one of the criteria for choosing a minder.
Of course, I understand that some parents get what child minding help they can get for free. So, you cannot dictate what your child gets to see or do…
We cannot say much on this front other than you still get to decide if that is the best place your child can stay and be safe mentally and physically.
How about you connect with parents of similar values and child age ranges and Do a child care-share! That way you get to be with your child and see how they relate with other children in your presence. You get to see what they see/do away from home coz that is what they will ask to do/see at home too.
Again, man up. Limit TV/Internet/Social media Access time. Until all essential school, and physically exhaustive activities are done… Hide the remote, do whatever it takes. At that point they are tired and are not that into Social media. And your bed time Curfew kicks in lol…
We didn’t get a Smart TV with all the internet access such give…Just a basic TV. I know tough love huh!
Well it worked for us!
What can you do as A Parent to Avoid Social Media Anxiety!
NOTE: Once again, I emphasize, we’re not psychiatrists or mental health experts. These are tips we use as parents to help us and our children stay sane off and online. Especially as it is a vital part of our Kalungi group coaching and Lifestyle brands today.
In the past I didn’t really think about what I post on social media until I noticed my children’s interest in was going on on certain platforms. Paul and I had to do something.
As an active Social Media user and marketer, I am now more mindful of what I do online. I am aware that:
a single like, comment or share can cause a dopamine spike in my brain…that Feel Good factor. It can be Addictive! Thus it also can cause anxiety if the good responses don’t appear or you get negative feedback instead! Imagine what this could do to an insecure teenager?
That Social media spike in engagement can cause a dopamine hike that could get addictive!
Surprisingly, research has shown that passive users aka scrollers and observers get it worse!
This is because you are exposed to a barrage of images and videos that are not realistic, which can knock your confidence hard! So, don’t be a social media by stander, be active or go home.
Seriously, either get in and engage with those you truly care about, learn from or empower. Or stay away from social media completely! Go cold turkey!
Here is what I did and DO to stay sane and grounded even though I use social media platforms as business tools and Market place!
#1. I have Morning Routine that must have these 3 things!
- MINDFULNESS – to center me and keep me calm through the day! I meditate Daily!
- MOVEMENT – to raise my body metabolism and heart energy. I Exercise for at least 30 mins 5 days a week!
- LEARNING – to feed my soul and brain the right food. I Read, Tune in to a book, training, or course daily!
I take scheduled breaks from the digital space every 60-90 minutes to tap into the above top 2 and re-center myself as well as raise my body metabolism!
Movement can be as simple as standing up while on the phone and walking round the room, or go to kitchen and make a cuppa whole dancing to some tune on YouTube from my playlist, you can use it too!
Mindfulness is as simple as taking 5 deep breaths in, hold for 5 counts and breath out for five…I repeat five times. Takes less than 2 mins. I check in with myself if I ma still on track for that day’s Main Task and et back to work. And…
I am always Learning. 😉
When I am on holiday I stay away from social media either completely or for hours on end. Unless I wish to do a quick live video to inspire others or a quick post for same reasons!
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#2. Build Real Friendships offline and get active too.
If you are busy LIVING your life, you will not be mesmerized by people’s pseudo or even make-believe lives on social media! Try and connect with your friends offline and other parents in your local area.
Agree meetups to get to know each other. Much easier if your children go to the same school and/or are age mates.
Join Meetups for real in your hobby, interest or niche. Attend the meetups and make new friends in real life. I am part of 2 Law of Attraction Meetups in Liverpool! I have made some great friends.
You can go on rambles, biking, meals out, dancing, book reads etc. In other words create a life off social media!
Indeed keep active; go on marathons, exercise together, life gets much more Fun in the real-world analogue space! 😉
#3. You could even do charity together.
A fab way to take the focus off of you onto others who need you. There is always someone or a charity to help out. We love Zoe’s Hospice here in West Derby!
This is very important because it’s been proven that Social media encourages narcissistic, self-obsessed mindsets. So, if you focus on others in more need than you, you also show your children a better way.
You counter loneliness and depression. You raise your vibrations to better feel good thoughts. And you stay sane!
Social media encourages narcissistic, self-obsessed mindsets.
#4. Unfollow/Unfriend/Block
As they say, you are the CEO of your life so Delete, Demote or Fire accordingly! This will free you from drama queens, fake people, and those you constantly compare yourself to who do not empower, educate or entertain you!
Understand that if you get anxious every time you visit a specific social profile…that is a RED FLAG. It means its NOT meant to be your jam. Do the needful and Delete, Relegate or Unsubscribe.
Advise your children and encourage them to do this too!
Bonus Tip: Invest in Self-development and Mentorship
If you are busy improving your skills and self, you won’t have time to be anxious about so-n-so’s baby-liscious images , or their seemingly perfect life on holiday 24/7. That’s Social media, its not real life, even Beyonce gets to work! 😉
Nor will you be pulled to Live chats about depressing subjects where the presenter either looks like they just stepped off a TV Set. Or they are totally UNQUALIFIED to guide you in that topic!
Choose a subject you may like to improve on, Find coaching on or offline. Invest in a Coach and Add Value to you and guess what, you just might get paid even more at work. #kerching!
And as my friend Kathleen Ahern of the Blogger’s Lifestyle recently pointed out:
“Don’t be a travel agent for Guilt Trips.”
Don't be a travel agent for Guilt Trips.
Allow us to leave you with this word to the wise:
Protect your Mental and Emotional Space and state, More so, protect your Children from Social Media Anxiety!
Hope you got some value today. Be sure that, this post will be updated as we learn more on how to protect our minds and life from digital and social media anxiety. So, keep checking. Have your say below, have you ever experienced Social media Anxiety? How did you fix You?
See, Do Be More
Julie Syl and Pauli
mail: admin[at]pkjulesworld.com
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We would love to hear from you! And if you learnt something or have something to add to our post on “Does Social Media make you Anxious.” Feel free to comment below and Share on Facebook…
Hi Julie, it’s a very difficult thing to control social media and the negative effects it has on both us and our children. I’m thankful that I had my daughter back in the days without internet and didn’t have to deal with this. Of course, back then there were other problems, but nothing as huge as this current one with social media, in my opinion. Thank you for writing about this, I hope it helps some people and their children. 🙂
Yeah Cheryl times definitely have changed! Thanks for reading 😀 !
If I didn’t have a blog I had to market on many social media sites, I probably would only use FB once a while and not have anything else. I personally don’t like keeping up with them and spending time on the computer (I know, that doesn’t make sense when I’m a blogger/writer… but it is what it is )
I think social media is too easily used these days and can cause upset in many ways. It is learning how to use it properly and teaching this to our children. Social media was never a thing when I was growing up so it is not something I get too caught up in, which has been passed on to my kids x
That is fantastic, I hope your children can know that there’s more to life to social media 😀
Social media is both good and bad, depending on how it is used. I have always told my children that not everything they read on the internet, not everything their friends post or share is true. If we learn to balance real personal social interaction with social media, then I think it would work in a positive way and not give rise to anxiety.
like everything else if abused has negative consequences! we need to teach our young things to do outside of social media how to break from it every now and then
They need the time away once in a while or it can become addictive!
Social media are getting bigger and bigger parts in our lives and it is only true it will most likely grow. Great tips for parent to guide kids into social media not guard kids from it
This is such a well written and informative post about something that everyone needs to read. I used to struggle with social media anxiety. After I took a social media fast, I was able to come back and not be so addicted. I share the same viewpoints as you. I liked what you said that what you share is authentically you. I also do my best to just be me on social media and not pretend to be someone else. The me that I I am on social media is someone who does my best to spread positivity. I think that is what social media should be used for, to spread positivity and not negativity. We plan to teach our kids to be positive on social media. We plan to help them not get addicted either. It is so easy to get addicted to social media. We have to have face to face interaction. It is good for our minds. Again, I really enjoyed reading this and I’m glad someone has shared about social media anxiety. It is a real thing. I hope this helps people.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and give such a supportive comment Jessica !! Social media anxiety IS a real thing and it affects many daily, I hope that they can see this and benefit from it just like you <3 😀 !!
As a mum to 2 under 2’s I am already worried about what the future holds with them. I hear about the dangers of social media with kids and adolescents and only imagine it will get worse in the future but I will talk to them about the dangers and be there for them should they ever have any problems.
These are all great tips parents should keep in mind when raising children in this new age. As a millenial myself, I have grown up with both ideologies of older school traditional child-rearing and newer age adapting to growth in social media so I understand and appreciate both mindsets. I think it’s important we ground future generations with both too so they can hopefully use what could be a powerful tool more productively.
It’s difficult raising children in an era where social media has blossomed but without a lot of research on the costs and benefits, particularly to children. I agree with you that a cautious approach is best. Terri
This is an eye-opening post. It’s like being addicted to social media and not being able to take it well when things do not go their way.
My parenting ended over two decades ago. We had enough problems without internet and social media and smartphones. We didn’t even allow television into our home — before or after we had children. We read books aloud together and talked about them. We went on walks with our children in the evenings. They also rode bikes with their friends or played pick-up sports in our cul-de-sac. We played games together in the evenings sometimes. We made the most of travel. We made sure we knew the parents of our children’s friends. Our children’s friends were always welcome in our home.
And we learned a sad lesson. Even without social media and the internet, if a child is going to go the wrong direction, they will find a way. Two people in the same family can be as different in their values and activities as night and day. A parent can’t be everywhere and see everything when a child is determined as a teen to escape supervision. They can still climb out of windows at midnight. Sometimes parents have to sleep. And sometimes bad things happen.
Parents can only do their best. They can teach, supervise, and love their children. They can work and play with them and give them many opportunities for learning and growing. But they will still make friends who lead them the wrong way and their good friends can’t always counteract the influence of the bad ones. In the end, children are responsible for their own choices and will suffer the consequences for them.
So continue to do your best to monitor your children’s activities. I applaud you because probably a lot of other parents are telling you you’re too strict and the children of those other parents are probably giving your children the ammunition to say “but all the other kids have, get to do, etc. whatever it is you don’t let them have or do. Stick to your guns. Be reasonable. But stay firm. Just make sure your children understand why the rules are in place and give them lots of opportunities to try their wings in a safe place. As they show they can make wise choices, give them more freedom. We adopted both our children when they were school age and there were some influences from their early life we were not able to overcome.
That was amazing to read Barbara, It’s always nice to know that someone shares my views and parents always try their hardest, its up to the children to listen and respect. Thank you so much for reading the blog Barbara, it was a pleasure to read your comment 😀
I’ve always thought social media anxiety was real. I see my kids having it now too :/
Ask them to give it some space over the summer and enjoy some nature, I don’t know if it can cure their anxiety but i hope it will calm them down a little 😀
This is an interesting take on social media. Many people can benefit from this information.
i hope so Lavern 😀
I think as a society we spend entirely too much time on social media. We become practically reliant on it for so many things. I try to curb my children on it as much as possible and get their validation from doing things and not posting things. <3
I agree that social media should be limited to kids. Of course, sometimes teenagers may be required to use it in some form for school and other things, but parents should be involved. Parents should have full access to their child’s social media accounts. As for adults, I find that I have more fun when I’m actually doing something (reading, crafting, etc.) rather than just watching something or scrolling.
I believe that social media isn’t bad for you as long as it’s done in small doses. However, with as much as people obsess over it, yes, it can definitely be bad for your health.
Social media is definitely a good and a bad thing and there are times when I just have to turn it off for my health.
Social media is like any other thing. Mishandled and not used right, it can cause a lot of bad things. We just need to learn to always balance things.
Great perspective! Lately I’ve been limiting my personal use of social media and keeping it strictly business because I feel it does impact my mental health in a negative way:( I think so many people use social media as an outlet to brag and that’s about it! Sad!
That is very sad and you are right Stephanie, sometimes we need to take a step back and focus on our business or our family 😀
I absolutely love your tips! I’m definitely a “what you need” not “what you want” type of parent. I also love the idea of keeping them busy offline. So important to engage in the real world!
Thank you so much Liz, Sometimes the what you need approach is more important when raising children 😀
This is very interesting topic that parents need to read. A lot of younger kids need to have a proper guidance when using social media
You are very right Fae, children need online guidance from their parents especially in adolescence
Social media actually helped to save my sons life last year. After a failed attempt at hanging himself, he was about to try it again when his friend messaged him on facebook. He took a moment to answer her and told her what he was doing. She was able to keep him messaging her while she used her phone to call me and tell me what was happening, and I was able to stop him and get him the help he needed. I’m very thankful that my son access to social media that day!
Hi Tammie,
Thank God your son has a friend who had the mind to keep him “talking” and let you know what was going on. In this case, Social media was a life saver so to speak. We are very thankful that you got a chance to save your son. Thanks for sharing this with our community.
Julie Syl.
Great points here! My kids are not big on social media, and I need it for my blog and business hahaa. As long as you are responsible with how you utilize social media, it’s got lots of pros than cons, in my opinion.
That is very true Hip Mama, you have to use caution and restraint whilst on Social media 😀
Yes, it is definitely the parents responsibility to make sure that kids are being monitored. Thanks for sharing
it sure is their responsibility, Thanks for reading Msddah 😀
I feel like it is fine in moderation… I mean without it I’d lose most of the traffic to my site.
Yes of course
there’s nothing wrong with the use of social media as long as you are a responsible user and know the limitations, this article has a really good point
tine management is really important with this matter because use of social media can affect your productivity
Yes exactly right
You make some really great points here. I can admit sometimes I get social media anxiety.
Thankyou for sharing this. With growing up children, these are really useful tips for me.
All extremes can be harmful, I have a few apps that let me keep track of my online time. I try to be productive when I am in front of a screen.
That’s a good idea
It might be, but…I wouldn’t have any work without it, lol!
Very interesting post. Social media has changed so many things in our lives. The difference is that the adults that use it have evolved with the platforms and the kids using it haven’t. We rely on it as bloggers but it’s also the cause of so much anxiety in people today!
Yes I’m glad you enjoyed the post
Oh I get this problem.. I wish most of the children could be honest if they were being bullied in social media oreven in their schools so that the parents can took immediate actions.
These are amazing tips, thank you so much for sharing, love them! Yes Social media that was meant to connect us and bring us together is not inducing anxiety and separation. But as parents, we gotta equip our kids with the necessary tools to deal with it.
Thanks for reading!
Social media can be such a huge tool for bloggers and influencers; it’s a little scary to think that this same tool can also be a source of anxiety. It’s so important to make sure we’re not letting it hurt our mental health
Yes exactly
Social media has been more of a blessing for me. I have connected with awesome people from all over the world. I understand that some people may have some anxiety from it and I totally agree with the tips you shared to overcome it.
I’m glad it’s working for you
I thinks its up to us to balance it by time management so that we don’t get lost in the world of social media.
You’re exactly right
This is a great post! Social media is overwhelming and also very time consuming if we let it and I think for kids and adults there should be time limits! I know it drives me crazy sometimes!
Social media is a blessing for us. But it can be a major cause of anxiety for others Ashli.
Jules
I LOVE social media. I have met so many amazing people through Social Media. I have ZERO anxiety about it at all. It’s just a fun place for me to see pretty and delicious looking photos because I only follow food accounts, ha ha ha!
OMG Food dont even start me Gigi.
Rankly I am very strict about who I allow in my Social space too so I dont get anxiety as well. Glad we are of a kind! 😉
Jules
Totally agree with social media anxiety and FOMO! Unfollowing people that increase our insecurity is a wise thing to do. Thanks for the informative post.
Exactly! You know what to do
this is a really helpful and interesting post to read. So much information for youngsters who are always busy on social media and ignoring other works.
Such a great practical post, Julie, we will make sure to feature this to help more in need of some examples.
Kathleen
Blogger’s Pit Stop
Social media is everywhere and it really makes it hard to connect with people in person. I love social media and hate it at the same time, but htink it’s importatnt to have boundaries with it.
thanks for reading Alyssa i think it very important to have boundaries with social media thanks for the input 😀
I think that there is both good and bad when it comes to social media. I try and only use it to stay in touch with old friends and to help bring attention to my blog.
I think children should be supervised when it comes to the length of time they spend on it as well as television. There is valuable information out there.. just needs monitoring
Social media has its positive and negative aspects as well, like almost everything in life. It comes up to how a person deals with it and how we teach our children to face the virtual world they can access in such an easy way.
I see that Larisa WE need to teach our young how to deal with it rather than just worrying about it 😀
You’ve touched a topic I’m really fond about. As a social media worker, I’ve noticed how having so many inputs and models coming from outside increase our sense of inadequacy. If I’m an adult and I’m perfectly able to manage these toxic feelings (Am I ??) young people and teenagers can have much more difficulties with it, resulting in anxiety and depression.
you sadly are quite right Sabrina. Depression due to social media in teens is very high we need to combat this in anyway we can, my kids already have specific hours for their screen time so i am slowly helping them live in the hear and now
Social media anxiety is a real thing irrespective of age, though as you very rightly pointed out it can be more distressing for teenagers & young adults. The one thing that I recently did & helped my mental peace a great deal is removing by date of birth from FB…now I only get wished on my b’day by people who actually care & remember…very freeing when your attention isn’t stuck on the number of comments counter.
– Nandita
I have been hearing this alot lately and to be honest I can really see how anxiety and social media go hand in hand. If for nothing else the impatience that I experience because of technology is a little upsetting. I have been trying to limit my social media time to strictly my blog and it has been helping.
that is very right Stephanie social media has a huge part to play in anxiety these days. And i can very much relate to the impatience with technology, It has conditioned us to be used to super fast here and now. we need to slow down and chill out, your idea seems great i might use it 😀
This is very real. People are so conscious about there social image. These are some great tips to help with this problem
Thank you Jasmeet social image is such a big issue but it doesn’t actually matter we just need to love ourselves and the people around us
Everything has pros and cons. It is us how we use it. Social media is playing both roles here too. And all the suggestions you shared is such a good for us.
As a mum, I always monitor my kids when using the internet. I gave them time after their homework. We can avoid it if we have time management and guidance.
That is fantastic Preet, I hope that works out for your children in the future 😀 !!
Such a great topic should be discussed. Proper use of social media can help us avoid SMA. It’s how we deal o using it.
It does need to be discussed more Alexandra. The more we talk about it the better we can combat it! 😀
Social media has it’s positives and has connected millions of people. However, it has it’s negatives that may not be as obvious especially to young people.
This post is a must read for every parent. I’ll be sharing it with my sis too. Information with practical examples. I intend to work on my social media life with these tips. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much Lydia, I hope your sister can benefit from the tips 😀 !
This is a fabulous topic. Too many people only see the positives in social media and fail to recognize the impact it can have on us in a negative way.
I think social media works both ways. it is helpful in some situations and totally is harmful in the others. It could trigger the unwanted thoughts for sure. I think balancing life in every directions help a lot.
I have three grandsons who would stay on you tube if allowed. I try and plan activites out of the house to let them see there is other things fun to do!
How funny! Me and my bf keep talking about this topic cause we’ve never had to go thru this when we were younger. Im so glad my son didnt fall in to this cursed realm society now that hes almost done with college….so im proud for both of us!
That is amazing Jena I hope your friends took notes on what you did because thats fantastic, Well Done 😀
Social media anxiety is very real – but I think we’re stuck with it, as social media won’t be going away anytime soon… as with all new things it does create new problems though, so we need to make sure we and our kids know how to handle it! Generally I think it’s the same as to create happy kids has been in all times: build self-esteem that’s rooted in themselves (they’re good no matter what they do!) instead of what they do and they will be fine!
I admit myself to be fully addicted to Instagram, but as a parent i do not allowed my kids to have a profile and they are so mad at me but its only because i agree with every word you put into that post
To help that addiction maybe you should see a counselor but as for your kids your doing a great job 😀
This is so important. My sister grew up with social media and I had to monitor her accounts as I was a cautious sister/second mother but I thought she might be in danger of bullies.
Great post and advice here, I think for some social media does ruin health
These are great tips! I feel there are days where I spend too much time on social media as well. I have a niece and nephew who are on their phone all day long, I feel they need some time outside. I have two toddlers boys so I haven’t reached that stage yet with them. But I will keep these tips in mind for future reference. Thank you for sharing,
I hope that your niece and nephew can find some time for the real world, i know how hard it can be for youngsters to detach but maybe give them a little nudge from time to time 😀
Social media can be a gift and a curse however I do believe it is up to us to balance ourselves from it. We need to always be in tune with reality so that we dont get lost in the world of social media.
Still depending really on time management. If you can manage your time. No problem at all.
That is very right Michael parents should help children to do this sometimes 😀
Some excellent information and advice. I have a 10 year old and don’t see any reason for her to carry a phone, yet even kindergarten children have a phone in her school. In addition, you hit the nail in the head, parents these days want to be their children best friends not the parents.
Thank you Jen 10 is too young for a phone so i think you should hold back on giving her a phone just yet and be her parent like you say others should 😀 great stuff Jen 😀
I could really see this. It’s just so hard to seperate yourself from social media nowdays. You constantly have to worry about it.
It really is hard to separate our lives from social media and real world but every now and then we should, i think it could really benefit all of us 😀
These are great tips for avoiding social media anxiety! I feel like I can even apply them towards my life in the first place. Thank you so much for helpful article!
I think a lot of kids struggle with this – I can’t imagine growing up in today’s world! FOMO is real.
FOMO is really a big issues susan many children have it we just have to show them that the real thing they are missing out on is life 😀
This was a very thought provoking video. Thank you for sharing!
You are so welcome Natalie i hope you got some great value 😀
It’s funny, my friend and I were just talking about this the other day. She says that social media can be like a disease, and I can totally see why!
I think Social Media has its positives and negatives and it’s all about how people deal with social media. I can separate it from my self-worth, however, I know a lot of people fall into that comparison trap, which is very unhealthy!
I have a son who will turn 13 years old this February. I do agree with you and I also have my son’s log in details and I’m guiding him how to use social media effectively and safely.
I think social media is to blame for a lot of what is wrong with todays society to be honest. I try and encourage my son to stay away from social media and focus no reality!
My oldest is 7 and thank goodness we don’t have to worry about this yet but its something that is always in the back of my mind. I always worry about this threat when they get older. These are great tips at keeping them safe.
I think social media is definitely bad for our mental health if we compare our lives to other people’s lives in a bad way. It can also be very inspiring though…
Social media with children is bad, I was always a strict parent and also talked endlessly to my Daughter about social media the bad bits along with the good bits. It is a parents job to police social media with our kids so that they avoid this
This is such an important topic to be discussed. Good to hear that there are people now starting to give awareness about this Social Anxiety Disorder.
It really is important to let people know about it i hope this can help some one 😀
How we can really tell if someone has an Social Anxiety Disorder.It is better to teach our kids the proper use of Social Media so they will not expose too much on a Social Media.
It’s best to ask a professional if you really think there is a big issue but if there isn’t anything too big going on then all you have to do is cut down on screentime 😀
I have heard a lot of this Social Anxiety Disorder. This is an important topic nowadays since a lot of people now are engaged with Social media.
Yes its a real issue and social media is a real contributor towards towards it, but using social media the right way can combat it 😀
It is not bad to use Social Media. As long as we know how to use it properly and with supervision especially with kids.
You are so right clare it can be our best friend and our worst enemy but its down to how we use it 😀
Definitely, social media has some affects on people’s health. I would not say that it is a cause for depression, but it surely is a factor that contributes to it.
This was so so interesting to read. I definitely feel like I spend far too much time on social media but it’s hard not to when it’s part of your job. I’ve really been trying to limit daily time this year and as well as feeling much better for it, I also get A LOT more done!
Ami xxx
Thank you for sharing this article. I am 20 years old, and certainly experience a bit of social media anxiety. This was a great read.
Thank you Erin i am so happy that this post could help someone out 😀
A great read and just in time when my 16 year niece is getting carried away with all the apps and publishing things on social media.
Hey Sania,
Glad to be of help and I hope your 16 year old can be helped to navigate the social platforms with more balance.
Working in a school I see every day how social media can be used in a negative way and how kids can get a lot of anxiety with social media. However I do believe that social media can be used in a positive way!
Hi Jenn,
Its both the parents and trusted adult’s including teachers’ job to ensure children are not exposed to platforms that may cause the anxiety. Esp. as teenagers go through so much hormonal change which manifests behaviorally and many are insecure due to the changes..so we must help them navigate this step of their lives.
Being a teacher in a secondary school I can assure you there is only a certain amount of control we have regarding the student’s use of social media. We do have the ability to take phones of them during school hours but they either have another phone or device on them that they can use or they just wait until they get home where their parents don’t have any idea of the implications that social media can have.
I teach Computer Science so we actually do a fair bit about putting information online about yourself, however, it doesn’t necessarily go in. I believe that social media etiquette needs to be taught at a younger age so that we prepare kids to use social media in the appropriate way as I believe it can be a very useful and strong tool.