The introduction of the internet and smartphones has made our lives better in many ways. News media and social media sources keep us connected to our friends and the world around us. However, there are many negative aspects of this technology that we need to be careful of. Negative effects of these activities can often go unnoticed and we may not realise how much they are affecting us. It is important for us to determine if this is happening and try to introduce strategies to avoid this. Some examples include reviewing our screen time, changing certain settings and becoming more screen wise.
Impacts of News Media Use
The media refers to all channels of mass communication including the internet, television, radio and newspapers. A large segment of this includes the news media. This reaches out to a global audience and influences millions of people. Social media organisations include websites that allow their users to interact with each other through avenues such as messages, pictures or texts. Smart phones have become very popular for viewing both social media and news media websites. Unfortunately both the news media and social media are very addictive and can impact our mental health. Smartphones have also provided instant access to news media articles, which has added to the problem.
There are certain aspects of news media sources that are damaging to our mental health. One major aspect is the abundance of negativity in news content. Regularly watching, listening or reading negative news articles often leads to higher levels of anxiety. Viewing negative materials leads to the release of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. If the article is very worrisome, we may think about this subject for days or even weeks after, and it will continue to cause anxiety.
A large part of this problem is that human beings have a ‘negativity bias’. This is a condition in which we focus upon negative aspects of our lives more than positive ones. It is a part of our evolution, where humans thousands of years ago were more likely to survive if they focused upon negative events, such as threats. This is related to the brain’s ability to keep us safe. Unfortunately in today’s society, this results in giving us a negativity bias. For many people this makes negative articles more likely to read, rather than positive ones. Studies have also shown that many news media companies are making articles more negative today than in previous years. Another issue with news media is when a large event occurs, many people try find a large level of detail regarding that subject. This often occurs for negative articles such as politics, the economy or war. This practice has the nickname “Doom Scrolling” and is a very unhealthy way of finding information. With many news companies providing a 24 hour stream of information, this can become an addictive habit due to the constant availability of the internet or TV. These sources can also be addictive because they are a popular talking point with friends or work colleagues. Many people like to stay in tune with current events, however they may not realise it is impacting their mental health. Whilst some people find it easier to view news articles without feeling affected, there are many others who find them upsetting and worrisome.
Impacts of Social Media Use
Social media is a very popular way of keeping in touch with friends and sharing information between them. However, there are many negative aspects to social media that are best to take caution with. It is well known that social media can be addictive and it is often hard to avoid. Part of this issue is the introduction of smartphones which allow easier access to social media apps. Many apps also include entertainment pages such as community groups. However, many of these community groups can be very hostile in commenting sections. This can also include the existence of ‘trolls’ who enjoy hurting other people through comments and messages.
Another problem with social media is the regular display of other people’s lives and the comparison we make to them. These include career, family and financial achievements. This leaves many people feeling that they are inadequate. It will therefore impact their self esteem and wellbeing. There is also the major issue of cyber bullying online. This can affect anyone regardless of their background. It is especially an issue for younger people, including teenagers as well.
People on social media also experience a fear of missing out, which has the abbreviation ‘FOMO’. Many people spend time on social media looking for upcoming events with friends and are disappointed if they are not invited.
Although there are many negative effects for using social media, there are steps we can take to reduce these issues.
Reducing News Media Impact
There are ways that we can reduce the impact of news media upon our lives. A popular way is to simply reduce our exposure to these sources. With regards to internet or TV news, this is known as reducing our ‘screen time’. Many health professionals say that it is best to limit ourselves to a maximum of 30 minutes of news and social media content in one day. Sometimes you may feel it is important to be informed of a particular event, however it is not healthy to obsess about this subject. One way to stay in touch with certain events is to ask a friend or family member to update you on these. This is worthwhile as it doesn’t come with any upsetting videos or images that are found online or on TV.
If you are still anxious regarding news events, and you don’t feel you need to be informed, it may be worth stopping your news exposure entirely. A recent global study from Reuters confirmed that in 2017, approximately 29% of people in various countries said that they sometimes or often avoided news media. This increased to 38% in 2022. Avoiding news media is especially helpful if you are experiencing major stress, anxiety or a crisis. Some people might say that avoiding news media is selfish, however it is an act of self care that we may need to take. As mentioned above we can always ask family or friends for news updates.
Please see the Reuters study link below for further information.
https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/more-people-are-avoiding-news-trusting-it-less-report-says-2022-06-14/
Reducing Social Media Impact
Many people are aware that social media can be very addictive and can cause harm to our mental health. A recent study by a survey company GWI revealed that the average social media user consumes 2 hours and 22 minutes of social media per day. This is a very high amount, and can cause many different problems.
However, there are ways to reduce this impact and still allow us to keep in touch with friends and family. A popular approach is to reduce our ‘screen time’ on social media by setting certain limits. Try to determine how much you currently use, and set a lower limit. It is recommended that a person shouldn’t spend any longer than 30 minutes per day on social media. Many apps have the feature to limit their usage, and this can be done in their settings.
Other similar methods include putting your social media apps away from your front page and keeping your phone on silent. Limiting our screen time is a good approach, however another important strategy is to be ‘screen wise’. This means that we do not only reduce the time we spend on social media but also try to filter away negative aspects. This can include removing notifications from particular friends that make you feel unhappy or upset. It is also possible in certain Apps to ‘mute’ or ‘unfollow’ certain friends. This allows you to still have them as an online friend, without having to delete their account entirely. It is also effective to remove particular pages such as news media, or chat groups that can be aggressive.
It is also effective to make your profile private, by not allowing strangers to view and comment on your material. This is due to the amount of ‘trolls’ online who enjoy hurting others.
For help with cyberbullying please click the link below or search for additional websites for assistance.
https://www.unicef.org/end-violence/how-to-stop-cyberbullying