What Social Media Does To Us

Dr. K’s Guide to Mental Health explores Anxiety, Depression, ADHD, and Meditation with 150+ video chapters in a Final Fantasy-inspired skilltree.

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[aburrito]

Got rid of all social media not too long ago and it’s really a blessing recommend it to anyone really, shit is a waste of time

[ThePiscesNotOnly]

i dont need social media to damage my mental health, news & fake story on tv already broke my soul when i was young. Too much negativity it broke my heart.

[MysterySteve]

Exactly what happened to my mom, over the course of decades

[kewoshk]

Stopped using social media 12 years ago (except Youtube) and it did wonders for my mental health. It is not about informing people about things anymore.

[jcnot]

You can’t help the world until you help yourself.

[KuroShiiZero]

That's why I have a mindset that while I can pity other people and their situations, I am not responsible for them- and it doesn't matter how I react to their situation, I cannot affect them whatsoever so they shouldn't affect me either.

I might sound like an asshole for saying this but- just because I am in a relatively more privileged situation doesn't mean I have to do something about the situation of others. Sure, I am relatively privileged but that doesn't mean I don't have my own struggles to deal with. I don't have enough leeway to care that much about others who don't affect me.

Only those with enough security can have the leeway to care about people who can't affect them. This isn't to say I am unempathic. I just direct my empathy towards my surroundings rather than the other side of the world. I can't be expected to deal with other people's problems when I'm struggling to deal with my own.

[AT]

I used to read magazines with traumatic stories in them, before social media was so accessible. I realised after a while it was making me depressed. Now I can't watch the news or charity adverts because it hurts too much, I have to prioritise protecting my mental health.

[PrincesaAzalea]

I experienced that after motherhood. I became much more empathic and sensitive. If I don't prevent myself from exposing to terrible news my whole life taste bitter.

[L_MD_]

I have had to stop watching all mainstream news and social media news - well, since 2020. It has made a difference to my mental health. Extreme maybe but I’m … not so much happier but calmer, content and not triggered when speaking to others over sensitive topics and reactive as I once was. I kind of mirror them - that sounds like you really care about xyz ….
When people ask me what if I’ve missed something important, I tell them my family knows I don’t watch the news - they do. Believe me they would fill me in if they thought it was crucial.

[diufool]

I noticed this a lot a few years ago when I was using Twitter as my main active social media. Despite people wanting to “help, ” it ends up being a very toxic environment because of sentiments being “if you are living a privileged life, you should be doing more to help those in need.”

[lalinera]

THIS!! I have been experiencing it for the past few months. It is taking me a while to integrate my spirituality with my social activism. Some tips I found helpful:
- Never loss faith (even during terrible times)
- Set timer for your activism and active empathy
- Remember that everything is working out for you and for everyone (even though you might not understand the reasoning behind the terrible events)
- Deal with the guilt you are feeling instead of poring yourself to the point of burnout
- Do what you can today, tomorrow is not promised
- Focus on what you can control and what you can do right now

I hope this helps anyone who might be going through an empathy fatigue, emotional burnout, and existential crisis.

[PabloWitkowicz]

I converted my twitter feed into what's basically now a page with a million cute animal videos and it's the best thing I did in a while, always makes me happy, totally recommend

[svenbtb]

Definitely struggled with this for a long time. I'm way, way happier and better off cutting out social media

[redhead]

This makes so much sense, and not only would I feel vicarious trauma but I can begin to minimize my own traumatic experiences in light of others' and it does not help them it only hurts me

[hyperkun]

I would say quite related is older / middle aged people watching news on the TV. (In Poland), its like 99% just bad stuff and I can tell my grandma and mom care about it, I told them its not good for them but then they think Im not empathetic or smth

[basbekjenl]

I once read some eye witness reports that are publicly available and I wouldn't carelessly share them, that stuff was haunting and it's been years but I still remember clearly how unwell I was for weeks afterwards. Protect yourself, knowledge can be dangerous.

[helenahandkart]

I became aware of this, & decided to follow only one or two accts in each area of concern, for calls to action, boycotts, petitions etc plus whatever my friends post. I remind myself that limiting exposure does not make me bad, but makes being good, more sustainable.

[Anthony-yzp]

Sir you are a breath of fresh air and a kind healer.

[sarazohar]

What a freaking intuitive point for us to ponder on. Excellent

[NG-swfi]

This exactly why i shut down all my social media back in 2016!! Have to pay attention to the effect of this stuff on yourself