Learn how to make your time online SHINE!
Social media can affect your mood, making you feel sad, angry, upset or unhappy. Filtered images of seemingly ‘perfect’ people living ‘perfect’ lives can make you feel unhappy about how you look and sad about how your own life measures up.
It’s important to remember that social media isn’t always reality. Many people will only ever show their best side online, keeping anything that’s considered less than perfect out of sight. That’s not real-life. We all have our insecurities, even the people who seem to have it all. They’re just choosing not to show them.
Try these helpful tips to make your time online more positive:
SPRING CLEAN YOUR SOCIALS
Have a proper clear-out! You can:
- Bin any apps you don’t use
- Unfollow or block accounts or individuals who annoy or upset you
- Block negative accounts
- Find new positive accounts and feeds to follow to cheer up your feeds
Keep this rule in mind as you clear through your socials – if a feed or account doesn’t make you smile or feel good about yourself, put it in the bin/unfollow/block.
SPREAD THE JOY
Share positive, uplifting content to spread happy vibes. You never know when someone is having a tough day or feeling unworthy or upset. Your post could put a smile on their face or make them feel better inside.
Reach out to online friends to check in with them and make sure they’re OK. Drop a quick “Hey!” or funny meme to let them know you’re thinking of them.
REDUCE YOUR ONLINE TIME
This is the simplest way to reduce your exposure to negative content but often the trickiest! Try to put your phone down more often and keep yourself busy with something else. You could go out and meet friends, take a walk or watch your favourite show. For more ideas on how to reduce your screen time, click here.
Are you getting enough sleep? Do you scroll social media late at night? This can affect your mood and blue light from your phone can make it difficult to fall asleep. Try to avoid using your phone late at night and wind down without screens before bedtime. Click here for more tips on getting a good night’s sleep.
DON’T FEED THE TROLLS
Trolling is when someone deliberately makes a comment or shares a picture or post online with the sole purpose of upsetting, angering or teasing another person. Trolls enjoy starting arguments then sitting back to watch the following eruptions.
The best way to deal with trolls? Ignore them. Screenshot their comment and delete or block them. You can report them to the social media platform or to the police if they have committed a hate crime.
If you’re being bullied online, please speak up and tell an adult. No-one deserves to be harassed and it’s not OK. Learn more about cyber-bullying here.
If you’re seriously worried about the effect social media is having on your mental health, please don’t suffer in silence. Talk to someone you trust about how you’re feeling and ask for help if you need it. Download the Hidden Strength app to join our caring community. https://ionpadel.com/app-sign-up/
