34: The Light and Shadows of Social Media and Simple Practices to Prioritize Mental Health with Technology
7 years ago, I shut down my social media accounts for an entire year and prioritized my spiritual journey and mental health. Social media and the internet has a light and a shadow side of it's own. For me, it serves as a vehicle for human connection, business growth and self-expression. However, it took trial and error to eventually get to a place where I could use it more responsibly.
Today I reflect on that time and how it was one of the best decisions I ever made. We talk about the reality of social media addiction and I share 6 practical tools that helped me and my students to use social media to support their life, business and relationships ~ not the other way around.
In this episode, we talk about:
what I love about social media and how it can be life changing
the pattern of social media addiction and how I broke it
reality vs. virtual reality
the danger of likes, comments and blue check marks
how I shut down social media for an entire year and found new beginnings
the change that led to my spiritual awakening
is there a link between social media and depression?
using social media with more responsibility
how to create more boundaries around technology
finding a balance within social media so it does not consume your life
6 simple practices to prioritize mental health + technology
Quote from the Show:
"I can detach myself from what my mind is saying (about likes and goals) and I can listen to my heart, I can listen to my truth, I can listen to my own inner wisdom. I can allow that to be my guidance and my compass."
If you are currently navigating through mental health dis-ease, please don't be afraid to ask for help. Reach out to a holistic practitioner or medical practitioner you trust to seek support.
Did this episode spark a thought or question for you?
Text Sandy 1-518-217-4546
References:
Alone Together by Sherry Turkle - https://www.amazon.com/Alone-Together-Expect-Technology-Other/dp/0465031463
Sources:
NCBI – Association between Social Media Use and Depression among U.S. Young Adults
Pew Research Center – About a quarter of U.S. adults say they are ‘almost constantly’ online
Digital Trends – Americans spend an alarming amount of time checking social media on their phones
NCBI – Internet Addiction: A Brief Summary of Research and Practice
U.S. Department of Education – Student Reports of Bullying and Cyber-Bullying: Results From the 2011 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey
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Sandy