Social Networks Linked to Stress!?

In the past 10 years the human race has adopted a new way of socializing, and now it is hard to imagine life without it. We can't go a day without checking in somewhere, liking a post, or posting pictures and actually making it look like we are having a lot more fun than we actually are. The social media world is deceiving and a picture is worth a thousand words... and thoughts. It is a known fact that pictures posted on instagram, facebook, or twitter are used as a self-esteem boost because it is an indirect way of bragging. Hence why the avid " Selfie Taker" is classified as having a mental illness. You post a selfie of yourself because you usually want your followers to leave compliment comments. Usually, if you don't get the amount of likes or comments you want you start wondering why. What happened to becoming content with ourselves and not worrying what the other person is doing at all times. Why do we need to constantly post and tell people what we are doing at all times? All of these questions lead to what my blog post is about today. Stress and Social Media.

How is it that your twitter or facebook account can create more stress in your life? Well there are some simple answers to this that most people may not understand or pay attention to. Social Media creates a sense of urgency. It does this by "Bragging" or "Markeing' an idea whether it is a friend posting a picture of a certain product or movie premier they or going to see that night. When you see a post that one of your friends put up with three other friends at a movie premier, you immediatley want to be doing what they are doing even if you think they might not. This is where the sense of urgency comes in. You feel you are missing out on something " Big" because you see your friends post and the picture of them being happy and comments left underneath. In reality the movie may not even be that good and your friends may not even be having fun. You immediately start to get stressed over when you can go see the movie and you are going to be left behind in the pop culture world.

This also goes for new products that are promoted via Social Media. You may not be able to afford the dress Kim Kardashian is wearing or the Shoes Michael Jordan is wearing but you want them. This creates an un-needed stress. Social Media Causes us to worry about what others are doing and not focus on ourself. If you don't mind your own business you are going to be stressed.  Social Media causes you to see and judge what other people are interested in, or buy etc. And stress sky rockets when we think oppositely of someone.

We need to reevaluate the value of social media in our lives. Putting down the phone once and a while may help you be less stressed because in reality, no ones life is really that much better than your own. You just perceive that it is.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-dick/social-networks-and-stress_b_3534170.html