Are you spending too much time comparing yourself to others on Facebook, 
Instagram, Snapchat and all your other social media accounts, and feeling worse about yourself?
Australian women aged 14 to 34 spend an average of 11.5 hours on social media every week, with men of that same age range spending roughly 7.5 hours (Roy Morgan 2018).
Connecting with friends, family, and acquaintances through social media provides ample opportunities to compare ourselves with others, whether we are conscious of it or not. The more frequently we use social media, and the more time we spend on it have been linked to greater likelihood of exhibiting signs of depression (Lin, 2016).
CHECKLIST TO DETERMINE IF SOCIAL MEDIA IS TAKING OVER YOUR LIFE
IF YOU CHECKED MORE THAN HALF OF THE ABOVE, WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
- Log the frequency you check social media and amount of time you spend on it each day
- Keep aware of what you think and how you feel about yourself after using social media
- Approach someone for support, i.e., a family member, close friend, or GP.
- Engage in other things you enjoy that make you feel good about yourself, like reading, spending time outdoors, attending a show or concert
Once you have tried these tips, engaging with a Psychologist allows you to develop a complete understanding of what’s happening and create a strategy to minimise behaviours that maintain low mood and low self-esteem, and get you more engaged in activities that improve your mental health.
We believe wise minds make wise decisions, so let us help you. Contact us today.
