For many of us social media has become a huge part of our day to day life. While there can be many beneifts to the use of social media sites they can also interfere and become a great source of anxiety.
How many friends do you have? How many "likes" does your picture have? How do I look in this picture? Angle the camera down so I look better. She liked your picture not mine. They have the perfect marriage. They look so happy all the time. Look how big their house is. Why does she always look so good. Should I post this? OMG did I just "like" that picture by accident. Can they tell I've been creepin through their photos? Did he/she defriend me? Do Sugar Bear Hair gummies really make your hair grow and look shiny-should I buy them? I don't want to keep checking my accounts throughout the day but I don't want to be left out or miss something. He/she is cyberbullying me.
Any of the above questions or thoughts run through your head while on social media? Odds are that they have. Many of these questions and thoughts provoke anxiety and can elicit negative feelings (low self-esteem, jealousy etc.) The harsh reality is that adults are not the only ones who can be negatively affected by social media--our children and teens are experiencing these same feelings.
Unfortunately, it's unrealistic to have every person experiencing anxiety from social media shut down their accounts. This action would merely be a bandaid to fix the bigger problem: ANXIETY. Although social media can bring out anxiety and insecurities -getting rid of it will not free us from it. It is important to get help and learn how to handle your anxiety so that when you or your children do interact on social media YOU CAN HANDLE IT.
