Is Social Media Making Us More Anxious And Less Social?

The way we interact socially has been changing since chat rooms and email was born in the early stages of the internet. The rapid rise of social media platforms has provided a social highway becoming a dominant way of information exchange as well as social interaction.

A new field in its birthing stages focuses on the mental and emotional effects social media is having on a person’s well-being. Having information on about any subject readily available has elevated our expectations of finding solutions quickly which does not develop patience. Does social media make us more tolerant or make us more competitive?

Another question that begs to be answered concerns the effect social media has on age and gender. Does the amount of time spent on social media affect our moods? Does posting often give one a sense of belonging, or does it increase a sense of social loneliness?

As a rule, human beings do not tend to thrive in situations of isolation. We are social creatures. In the past, and still today, we enjoy meeting with family and friends to exchange news and events. We have social rules for appropriate social conduct. However, social media allows for a wider range of contact that does not hold us as accountable as a face to face confrontation.

While enjoying the freedoms that social media provides, often some comments are not well-founded, mean-spirited, misunderstood, and false in their information. These types of comments can lead to depression, anxiety, anger, and erode self-confidence especially in children and young adults.

With younger generations, a social gathering can consist of several youths picking a physical destination, meeting, and each brings out their phones or tablets to interact online. This begs the question, are they having a social interaction that is individually isolating?

Though this is now being looked into by the health industry, early signs show that limited time on social media is a healthier mental and emotional avenue to take every day than spending hours online. We need face to face human interaction as well as personally active social adventures.

Also, using some of your time being creative, going for walks in nature, taking a class in a field of study you enjoy, all contribute to your quality of life. Second-guessing what other people are writing on social media does not enhance your life or well-being. Our youth is looking for social acceptance, so it is understandable why they look to social media to fulfill this need.

However, the sound of spontaneous laughter, a hug, eye to eye interaction, as well as a person’s touch does not have the same effect conveyed on a machine as it does in face to face interaction. Even though social media has some advantages, it will never replace human contact in real-time.

It is time to find this out for yourself by testing it. Instead of spending most of your time following social media, take a break with friends and family by heading to Lancaster, PA for a shopping trip at The Shops at Rockvale. For more information on our shops like Cricket Wireless and restaurants, visit us online at https://shoprockvale.com.