Followed by instruction

Your Name Subject and Section Professor’s Name October 23, 2024 Balancing Mental Wellness in the Age of Social Media A couple of months ago, I fell into a familiar trap: watching random videos on YouTube, staring at the Facebook newsfeed for hours, jumping from one app to another, and losing ourselves in people's highlight reels. I've been scrolling through short videos and influencer content for nearly two hours one evening. It was never supposed to be a stressful way to spend some free time, but it made me feel tired and anxious. That night, I realized I had a problem with social media. The following has to do with the need to address my mental health in a society that never seems to let anyone rest. Social media has two effects – it unites people and provides information but often causes harm to mental and emotional status. Research by Hussain and Griffiths (2021) have showed that users who spend much time on social networks have higher levels of anxiety, depression, and stress. As for the fourth canopy, I needed to find how to take the best out of social media tools and not let it take the best out of me. Here is the knowledge I want for crucial care of my mental health and soul with the continuous technological disturbances. 1 Setting Boundaries The first measure I took was to restrict the use of social networks and the time spent on them. I only spend 30 minutes watching it on weekdays and extend it mildly on weekends. I also incorporated the 'no use of phone' while having a meal or an hour before sleeping into the practice. Such practice is evidence-based; one such study was done by Kross et al. in 2013, revealing that reducing social media to 30 minutes negatively affects youth's emotions, Computers in Human Behavior. By applying such change, it was possible to regain time control and reduce the need to answer a phone immediately. They continue to remind me that it is okay to only sometimes be plugged in/connected and updated on all that is happening. 2 Curating My Fe...