A social media break could help your mood

Social media in uncertain times | When to take a social media break | How to stop scrolling

Most of us have found ourselves scrolling through status updates on Facebook, swiping nonstop on Instagram Stories, or immersed in our Twitter feed without even being completely aware that we opened up the app. Checking social media has become as reflexive as checking your wrist for the time once was, but it’s not without negative impact: A recent study indicates that the most active social media users carry an increased risk of anxiety and depression. Merriam Webster has actually noted a new phrase they’re tracking: doomscrolling, known as “the tendency to continue to surf or scroll through bad news, even though that news is saddening, disheartening, or depressing.”

Although we often associate social media usage and mental health issues with young adults, the impact of social media are more universal than we often assume, especially as we navigate COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine conflict on social networking sites.

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Social media in uncertain times

When we experience uncertainty, our brains err on the side of caution by assuming threat, a survival instinct that prevents us from missing or overlooking real danger, says Maria Mouratidis, Psy.D., a licensed clinical psychologist with The Retreat at Sheppard Pratt. For someone who is prone to anxiety, it’s all the more difficult to override that natural tendency to perceive all potential threats as real. COVID-19 updates can seem never ending, and the ongoing situation in Ukraine has an uncertain end. Not knowing what will happen or how bad it will get can be anxiety-inducing.

“Social media is no longer that peaceful, playful raft we can lie on,” says Peter Turco, LCSW-R, a psychotherapist practicing in New York City. “It’s rapid-fire in its succession of anger and bad news.”

Our intake is a matter of frequency and saturation. “Watching CNN, MSNBC, or Fox News for six to eight hours at a time is likely just as deleterious to your mental health as scrolling through “curated” social media news feeds for the same amount of time,” says Matt Estey, LCSW, a program director of Menninger 360. 

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7 signs you need a social media break

“You don’t want to work too hard when you’re looking at social media, and unfortunately in the current situation, we’re all working too hard,” Turco says of the past few months. When experiencing anxiety, we should seek to slow down our nervous system rather than bombard it with more information via social media. But knowing that social media is having a negative effect on your well-being isn’t always obvious. Here are some warning signs of doomscrolling to look out for:

1. Increased anxiety: If your anxiety is spiking or you feel mental fatigue or depressive symptoms, you may want to look at social media’s potential role in these changes.
2. Symptoms of depression: Social media and depression have been connected time and time again. Our social networks don’t take the place of real life social interactions like one might hope it would. It’s often a solitary endeavor, so you may notice yourself becoming more isolated and not connecting with others personally.
3. Lost time: If you go into a bubble and lose track of time while using social media, it might be time to dial it back.
4. Inconsistencies: Presenting yourself on social media platforms in a way that’s inconsistent with who you are or how you are feeling can be a sign that the use is not constructive. Similarly, there’s a phenomenon of self-loathing and jealousy when you compare yourself with the persona your friends have posted on social media, which likely differs from their reality.
5. Insomnia: If you can’t get to sleep because it feels like your brain was working too hard, your sleep is disrupted or you have trouble falling asleep, it could be attributable to the use of social media—or your phone, generally.
6. Distraction: If you feel a pervasive malaise or persistent distraction, you likely need to seek out real human interaction vs. social media interaction.
7. Arguments: Getting into arguments on social media is likely a sign you’re too invested in the platform.

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How to stop scrolling while still feeling connected

Once you’ve recognized that you may need to decrease your social media intake, Estey recommends constructing some “speed bumps” into your digital life. Although social media can have positive effects as it’s a great way to connect with others, especially while we remain socially distanced, it’s best if it is not the only mode of social support, says Mouratidis.

• Build social connection: Spend time with others outside of social media, whether it be taking a walk with a friend or calling a family member on FaceTime. This can also reduce common feelings of FOMO (or fear of missing out).
• Find ways to help: If you’re hurting from seeing the struggles of others, or viewing a world in crisis, search for ways to make a difference. Finding someplace to volunteer or make a small donation can alleviate feelings of helplessness.
• Develop mindfulness: Opening up social media can become very reflexive. Practicing mindfulness via meditation or checking in with yourself before you open up a social network will bring more awareness to how often you’re using social media throughout the day.
• Set goals: Aim to only use social media when it helps to advance your personal or professional goals or reduces your anxiety. For example, spending time updating a LinkedIn profile is likely a more productive (and positive) use of time than using Snapchat.
• Disable notifications: Notifications are designed to keep us opening up the apps. Disabling notifications helps break your habits and reflectively opening up social media platforms.
• Designate social media breaks: Use your smartphone’s features (like the iPhone Screen Time function) or a timer to limit the amount of time you spend on social media. Put your phone down at least an hour before you go to bed to allow your brain to wind down before falling asleep.
• Consider the content: It helps not only to restrict the time but also to restrict the type of content you’re consuming. Consider a balanced selection that also includes apolitical areas that are soothing and create a sense of calm or humor. Rather than getting on your angry college roommate’s page, check in with your cousin whom you haven’t seen in a while.
• Add structure: Planning when you eat lunch or do your laundry—or scheduling time to watch a documentary or TV show—is very helpful in creating structure and preventing “dead time” that we feel we need to fill with social media.
• Delete the apps: Delete social media from your phone but leave it on a device you use sparingly. This cuts down on reflexively opening apps while allowing some use in your life.
• Use it for its intent: Focus your social media use on staying in touch with someone rather than engaging in a one-way dialogue of information intake, and you’ll feel more present.
• Model good behavior: It’s crucial that parents model effective social media habits to their children. For example, having conversations with others as opposed to strictly interacting on social media platforms and not using technology while eating dinner with family members.
• Limit your list: Unfriend acquaintances or unfollow accounts that you find triggering, result in feelings of low self-esteem or self-doubt, or that aren’t benefiting your mental health.

Ultimately, successful social media use comes down to enhancing rather than indulging, concludes Turco. “You can indulge in social media and get nothing out of it except lose a few hours of sleep and get irritated at your partner for no reason, or you can use it to meaningfully connect with people and enhance your life,” he says. 

If you’ve cut back, but are still feeling hopeless or disconnected, don’t hesitate to get professional help. If you don’t know where to start, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) hotline 1-800-662-HELP is a 24/7 referral service for individuals and family members impacted by mental illness. SAMHSA also has an online treatment locator.