Time to get anti-social?
Should you take a break from social media to look after your mental health? By YOLANTHE FAWEHINMI
PEOPLE never seem to regret taking social media breaks.
Celebrities including former Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan, British actress Millie Bobby Brown, and American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish, have all spoken about the mental health benefits that go hand-in-hand with leaving social media for a spell.
So what are the signs that it’s time to log off for a while?
Should people take a social media break?
“Stepping away from devices is important for us all, but particularly for young people – as young brains are still developing, exposure to so much content on social media can be harmful and damage their future wellbeing,” says Fiona Yassin, psychotherapist, and founder and clinical director of The
Wave Clinic.
“In addition to the mental health risks of social media, we are all (but again, young especially) at risk from the negative aspects of the internet.”
What are the signs that it’s time to log off for a while?
There are many signs that it might be time to take a break from social media.
“These include, finding you often get annoyed or frustrated with people’s content, comparing yourself to others to the detriment of your health, reaching for your phone first thing in the morning and last thing at night, and scrolling social media when you’re with other people,” Fiona says. Many young adults and teenagers can feel huge anxiety due to social media. They may feel pressured to continually post perfect photos and write idealised posts to go alongside them. says: “Signs that your child or young person is struggling with social media include withdrawal and isolating from friends and family, being upset, disturbed sleep, major distress when you take social media away, significant mood changes, and using self-insulting comments”
What is the best way to do it to ensure that it’s effective?
Jas Schembri-Stothart, co-founder of the Luna wellbeing app, encourages people to take the following steps. “Unfollow or mute accounts that provoke negative feelings and contribute to poor mental health; this way the only way you are coming across their content is if you actively search for it,” says Jas.
“Set personal boundaries, like time limits and guardrails around times of the day you want to use social media. Remove comments and ‘like counts’ and mute notificapeople tions; silencing pop-ups and adjusting these settings will reduce the urge to keep refreshing your feed to check in on post updates
“Engage with accounts and content that adds value to your life and makes you feel good.”
What are the benefits
Studies have shown that limiting social media use can improve wellbeing by preventing sleep problems. “Many people who use social media experience a fear of missing out, which can drive social media use at night and cause sleep disturbances,” says Fiona.
“Stepping away from social media can help to reduce anxiety no matFiona ter what your age. Although social media has not yet been proven to cause depression, it is shown to intensify certain symptoms,” Fiona says.
“Breaking from social media and instead investing time connecting with friends, family and colleagues in real life, can help to reduce feelings of loneliness.
“Although it is yet to be established whether the relationship between social media use and health factors is a direct one, research has shown that reducing social media use, even by just 15 minutes a day, can significantly improve general health and immune function.”