Boundaries are defined as an invisible distance that you maintain from a certain situation, a person, or from any particular task in order to maintain a personal space to be able to function optimally. Healthy boundaries are not just about putting limitations over the actions or behaviors of others, but also understanding personal values, beliefs and needs. But, boundaries require regular enforcement to be followed by the individual.
In today’s world where social media has taken total control over how we function on a daily basis, especially after the global pandemic hit us, it becomes rather vital that we know how to maintain a healthy distance from social media platforms to most importantly have a life outside that of our gadgets.
Social media has completely changed the world in the past decade. People, from all backgrounds of society, have become familiar with what social media is in their own ways. It has revolutionized the ways in which people communicate with each other and also helps people develop a larger space for whatever it is that they have to offer. Not just that, people also live their lives online, in the form of buying almost everything online, creating things out of their own talents, and consuming almost anything that the online platform provides.
Impact of Social Media
Social media may provide individuals with a platform that overcomes barriers of distance and time, allowing them to connect and reconnect with others and thereby expand and strengthen their in-person networks and interactions. As easy and accessible the idea sounds, it does have its own banes. The excess information overload leads the mind to be overwhelmed.
The glamour presented on social media doesn’t show the reality of most of our lives and the hard truth is that most people fall for the trap and compare their lives to what they see on social media platforms. It unconsciously affects individuals so much so that they start to develop signs of anxiety and other mental issues and hence are trapped in the vicious circle of “trying to be better than the rest”.
On the internet, people frequently look for approval against the important connections they may normally create in person. They are heedlessly attempting to improve their online personas because they believe that the approval of the faces behind the screen would signify more.
If no one loves their post, a whopping 43% of teenagers feel guilty. The recent generation’s behavior is dictated by the needs and admiration of others, with the result being a disturbed sleep cycle, bad health, and inferior performance in one’s professional life. Social media usage is like a habit, so much so that checking social media while driving happens to 55% of drivers. This leads to unfortunate deaths and accidents which are caused just due to lack of boundaries.
In addition, providing people with a window through which they can view missed experiences, social media puts a distorted lens on appearances and reality. Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat have increased the likelihood of seeing unrealistic, filtered images, and increasing “body dysmorphia”, which is a mental health condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance, among adolescents as well as adults.
Youngsters live at a frantic pace and are in a constant state of competition over likes on different socials or who had more fun the previous night. It is only obvious that any kind of competition produces stress, leading these individuals to always be in constant anxiety. The opportunity of social media has never been greater than it is today, and as a result, social marketers see social media as both the catalyst for competition and the key to differentiation. This leads to unhealthy competition with people users might not even know which inevitably affects their mental state.
Mindful tips to use social media and maintain healthy boundaries
Applying some mindful techniques in using social media might be helpful.
- Consider your intentions before opening a certain application. Check in with your emotions and your body. If you take it slow, you might notice that particular posts or people create more negative feelings than others.
- Remind yourself what you see might not be the actual reality of the situation.
- It is important that all of us as users should understand that it is necessary to be mindful of how much time we are spending on different & in total on social media apps.
- Social media users can monitor how much time they spend on these platforms by reviewing the screen time data on their devices or through some social media platforms directly. The studies would reveal that people may not be happy when they actually realize the number of hours they spend online, and this shows that there has been an unconscious usage of online platforms.
- People form daily patterns where they begin the day using their mobiles even before getting out of bed and usually cannot sleep without the “mindless scrolling” before going to bed.
- Making schedules where an individual fixes their time off from social media can improve their well being, help with problems like anxiety and depression.
- It is also important to pay attention to the kind of content one consumes over the internet. The time spent online should be compared to the time we spend doing activities that actually matter. Create a review at the end of the day and put it in writing.
- We should Clean up the lists of friends and followers that may make us uncomfortable. It is okay to have healthy boundaries in place for mental wellbeing.
- We should determine the purpose for being online which can help us decide how to use social media and what connections we might or might not need. We should try to engage as little as possible with all the negative comments.
- And of course, the final last tip would be to limit the time of usage of social media as much as possible. you could put up timers every time before you open an app.
People consider deleting certain apps that are the most adverse to mental health. Setting a ground rule that, if the individual already feels sad or stressed, they would not default to social media.
Alternatives to social media scrolling should be considered instead. Self-care activities that can replace social media may include taking a walk outside, reading a book, journaling, practicing yoga or meditation, calling friends and family, inviting a friend to dinner, volunteering in the community, or joining community groups.
Establishing healthy boundaries with social media platforms can help users tailor their social media experience to make it a healthier place for them. Practicing the suggested tips can require patience and repetitive trials. The key is consistency that can optimize user experience w.r.t their mental health.