Social media detox and the pandemic

Stock photo
Stock photo

THE pandemic has brought several changes in the lives of many people, and this can be observed even on social media.

While some say that the health crisis has affected their livelihood, there are also those who are still blessed amid the challenging times.

With this scenario, there have been exchanges on why someone should stop posting about the “good things” and “blessings” they continue to have. Others say that they are being insensitive to the sad plight of their relatives and friends. Meanwhile, there are those who completely disagree with this claim.

This negativity is among the reasons why a close friend decided to stay away from socmed for months now. She shared that the unending rants she saw early in the morning, as well as, the news about the death of someone dear due to Covid-19 caused her anxiety at some point.

This friend is a self-confessed empath, which made it more difficult for her to recover from what she observed from other people’s posts.

The social media detox, for her, was necessary to save her sanity. Accordingly, the strong feelings she felt because of her observations affected her emotionally. She gladly revealed, though, that by veering away from the platform, she has slowly regained her happy state.

Before this global health situation had occurred, I had already written about the importance of social media detox. Its positive effect on mental health has already been proven by many, including celebrities.

Here are some of the benefits you can get from “signing off” from time to time:

More time to be more productive.

You might have not noticed it but upon checking the clock, you realized that you have been on your newsfeed for two hours already.

Unless you are the socmed manager of your company, staying on the app for that long lessens your productivity, whether you accept it or not.

More time to focus on important things.

You are supposed to study, however, a notification came in. Thus, you reach for your phone to check it. But instead of just finding out what the notification is all about, you are tempted to scroll some more.

Privacy.

Are you the type who posts every activity you have online? If so, you might have been giving away too much personal details about yourself.

They say that when it is out there, you have just lost a piece of your privacy. This means that you have to be conscious and cautious with what you share on your socmed account.

Freedom (not absolute, though) from unnecessary arguments or misunderstanding.

You share a quote or photo simply because you find it cute or funny. Without you knowing it, a friend or family member immediately concludes that you are going through something serious. At times, the misinterpretation turns your wall into a community chat box because someone’s comment is so strong that others are pushed to respond and air their objection. Toxic, right?

More time to bond with the people who matter.

You might have heard of stories about people being “close” on social media but ignoring each other in the “real world.”

When you spend long hours on your phone to check on “friends” and chat with them, you could be depriving your loved ones (children or siblings, perhaps) of the chance to bond with you, which they deserve.

There is nothing wrong with being online, especially that it has become a medium to keep you connected with others. Nevertheless, a social media detox could be an essential strategy to maintain a healthy mind.

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If you have special events, interesting lifestyle stories, and fashion tips to share, you are always free to reach me at mendoza.jennygrace@gmail.com. You may also follow Purple’s Nook on Facebook for more updates.

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