How to Know that Social Media is Affecting You Negatively
Are you constantly going through Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp? Do you immediately go into your social media accounts when boredom or loneliness set in?
Do you constantly check your notifications, which reduces your productivity and encourages laziness?
If you don't check your social media accounts, do you become nervous all the time? Do you frequently get a depressed feeling after looking at other people's profiles?
It could be time to stop using social media altogether or significantly cut back if the majority of these questions are answered in the affirmative.
Let's examine some indicators in further detail so you can decide if it's time to stop using social media.
Social media is Revealing Your Dark Side:
The phrase "The Shadow" was created by renowned Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung to describe your underlying psychological traits. Your suppressed emotions are what make up your shadow or dark side since society judged them worthless.
Using social media to cast your rage onto others is one such instance of shadow behavior.
One of the best instances of the dark side of individuals showing itself is through aggressive conduct and online trolling.
We can better understand it by using an illustration. Let's say you have a bias against a particular group or race of people.
Considering that the environment you were born into taught you to despise certain groups and form unfavorable stereotypes about them.
Now that you can hide behind anonymity online, you may make harsh judgements and racial slurs against certain ethnic groups.
You may express your rage on the social media account without worrying about repercussions. Because you are not face-to-face with the other person, you feel like you have more authority.
You project your secret emotions onto others when you judge them, and social media accentuates your negative traits.
It's time to take a careful look at yourself if you believe you engage in aggressive or abusive conduct online regularly.
Recognize your shadow's message to reintegrate the aspect of your personality that you suppressed by taking a step back.
It's time to take a break from social media and examine yourself.
You have Become more Narcissistic and Self-Obsessed:
The only sense that social media can make you have is one of incompleteness and inadequacy.
You start to feel envious when you see other people having a great time in other people's holiday images.
This envy frequently arises from the perception that other people are enjoying the time of their lives while your life is monotonous and full of boredom.
You could become more narcissistic and self-absorbed as a result of your envy.
You could find yourself posting photos and selfies more frequently than usual because you feel the need to show everyone that you are having the time of your life.
Additionally, when you read more postings from other users, you portray your sense of unhappiness by writing more.
This may seem to be a vicious cycle that gives you pleasure at first, but what is really happening is that your hidden sense of worthlessness is coming to the surface on social media.
This may seem to be a vicious cycle that gives you pleasure at first, but what is really happening is that your hidden sense of worthlessness is coming to the surface on social media.
You may view it from your shadow side's perspective as well.
Through social media, the shadow is attempting to convey your emotions of unworthiness.
It would be ideal if you paid attention to what your suppressed self is saying, which is that it wants to feel entire and complete.
Don't feel bad about yourself by comparing yourself to others.
Your subconscious is telling you to stop using social media because it's making you depressed.
You have Become More Depressed, Anxious, and Showing Signs of Increased Loneliness:
You may experience despair, anxiety, and a greater sense of isolation if you feel excluded from all the fun and happiness you witness on social media.
You are more likely to experience loneliness, which can lead to anxiety and despair if you frequently use your smartphone and avoid physical contact to a large extent.
Additionally, there is a probability that you will experience loneliness if you have a family history of anxiety or depression. Social media may exacerbate your already-existing sense of emptiness.
You feel restless checking social media in the morning. There is a good chance that you are endangering your mental well-being.
Your impulsive tendency is growing, which may manifest in real-life scenarios, if checking alerts and seeing them come up gives you an instant high or not seeing them pop up gives you an instant sensation of despair.
You just get brief pleasure from your friends' frequent likes, and when there are no likes, you experience brief grief. It's time to reconsider your definition of happiness at that point.
Because the happiness you are pursuing is not eternal, and as a result, you will constantly be miserable.
This enjoyment depends on the whims of people who alter their behavior without your consent.
It's time to strengthen your genuine connections, which your shadow self is expressing via your loneliness.
It's time to prioritize your mental health above anything else.
Final Insights and Conclusion:
Your psychological health is the most crucial factor.
Your mental health is more important than any app or social media account.
Even though you might think it's impossible, you can stop using social media. Many people have done so and experienced the advantages.
It's time to examine your connection with social media if you see any of the aforementioned symptoms having a significant negative impact on your personality as well as your mental health.
You could feel the need to relapse after quitting or reducing your use, but keep your cool and realize that doing so will only be in the long run for your benefit.
Quitting can assist you in finding yourself again.
I'll say it again: Using technology is for your advantage. Rethink your relationship with technology as soon as it starts to bother you because you need to be in control of it, not the other way around.