Take A News & Social Media Break
You don’t have to look far to find statistics about the trouble effects of social media on mental health. Studies show that excessive use can fuel feelings of anxiety, depression and isolation and a sharp increase in teen suicide rates has been tied to teenage reliance on social media. And this is during times of normal levels of stress. When you’re facing a prolonged period of extreme stress and anxiety, social media quickly becomes very toxic.
When a loved-one is facing serious criminal charges, the social media and news problem becomes even more complicated. At any moment you may be exposed to a salacious story on the local news read in all its drama by the breathless news anchor who has no idea what they’re really talking about. Even worse, that story will almost surely be repeated on the station’s social media profiles for all the world to comment on and share. Almost any news-worthy charges your loved-one may be facing are sure to garner terrible comments from keyboard warriors without a second thought. Even if your story doesn’t ‘make the news’, people in your area may hear the story and share their version of it anyway, resulting in the same, hateful, hurtful comments.
I equate trying to navigate the minefield that is today’s social media environment during periods of extreme stress to attempting to run a marathon on a broken leg. It would be crazy to do something like that! But we don’t seem to give our emotional injuries as much respect as our physical injuries. This lack of respect can be dangerous, especially during long periods of high stress, so we’re taking it seriously over here.
For many people, social media has become so engrained in our daily lives that the thought of suddenly eliminating it from our daily lives doesn’t seem feasible. We get it, so we’ve put together 4 steps to make eliminating social media, and the news for that matter – for a short recovery period of time – easier.
Identify an inner circle of trusted loved ones who you can count on to let you know if anything serious goes on in the world (this will help you know you aren’t going to miss out on anything). If these people are in your household, also get them to commit to not having the news on TV for this short period of time.
Identify 2-3 uplifting, positive activities to fill the time you have been spending on social media and reading the news. Commit to doing them EVERY DAY. First thing in the morning remind yourself of these other activities. Have a simple activity on hand all the time and any time you feel compelled to check your phone or turn on the TV, immediately turn to your alternative activity instead. This will help motivate you during the next 2 steps.
If you feel you need to make an announcement on social media that you’re taking a break, do so in a short, simple post. No further explanation is ever needed – people get it and respect it when they see posts like this.
Finally, DEACTIVATE ALL of your social media accounts. This is a commitment you are making to your mental health, and the act of deactivating (not permanently deleting) your accounts feels freeing, trust me, I know. Then delete the aps from your phone & tablet. It’s REALLY EASY to get them back. Again, trust me, I know.
Now sit back and enjoy a peaceful non-digital experience.