Do social media platforms disconnect us from the world around us?

What are the impacts of using social media on our external world? This topic is one of the main points of discussion for many bloggers, influencers and speakers. Many argue that social media disconnects us from the external environment and other people; that we become some consumed in the game if posting and social approval that we forget what is really important. It is true that many individuals base their self-esteem on the external validation of their social media network, but the question is are we really this disconnected? The average time a person spends on social media everyday is 135 minutes, which is 9 % of our day. To shine some perspective; we spend 9% of our lives scrolling through the newsfeed, liking, commenting and posting. Pretty crazy figure, right?

Why are we so obsessed with social media? Let’s explore the idea of self esteem. There are a lot of psychological journals out there that have looked into how the extreme social media usage is impacting on our confidence and sense of self. Some research studies have suggested that our self-esteem is actually affected negatively through spending time on social media. This is if we use that time to browse through those perfect Instagram accounts that show idealised bodies and lifestyles. What we do then is start comparing ourselves and our lives to those people, who often aren’t portraying the full picture. As they say Comparison is the thief of joy. When we compare ourselves to others we subconsciously send a message to our brain that we do not accept our own self and life as it is right now, which creates mental conflict and leads to decreased sense of confidence. This then has a negative effect on our wellbeing as we start feeling bad about ourselves. However, psychologists believe that if we manage to detach ourselves from the comparison game and increase our awareness of the world around us we will see social media with mo9re clarify and realise that a lot of what we see on there is half of the story. With awareness we will realise that we are all on our own individual journeys with our own struggles, so we don;t need to compare ourselves to the models, influencers and celebrities.

Social media education is actually really important, because with a healthy mindset we can gain a lot of wisdom and connection from using it! When we can take a step back and intend to gain some positive influence from using social media it can be very beneficial to our wellbeing. Below, you will find a few points on how to use social media platforms in such a way to create a greater sense of connection and use it to your wellbeing’s advantage.

Selecting relevant accounts to follow that will feed your mind

Creating meaningful connections with new people

Expanding your business network

Connecting to like minded people, who share the same passions as you

Sharing your message or life lessons with other people to empower them 

Having a platform to share your artistic work and inspire people with creativity

Following mind-nourishing accounts that add value to your life

Joining discussion groups with people who are on a similar journey to you

Perspective is everything, so when you change your perspective and the intention on how to use social media you can gain a lot of benefits from it. You can learn new things, meet create people, share your knowledge and that way create a greater connection to the world around you. When you are sharing the work you are passionate about you will attract your tribe. To reach out to even more people you can even buy real Instagram likes and start sharing your creative work to thousands.