Anxiety in the Digital Age: Balancing Social Media and Mental Wellbeing

Navigating the Digital Age

    In our modern world, we are fortunate to have technology that simplifies our daily lives. Instead of searching through your grandmother’s decades-old recipe book, you can easily find the perfect cheesecake recipe on social media. However, along with these conveniences come some downsides. If we take a closer look, we can see that social media often increases feelings of anxiety. Imagine encountering an article filled with misinformation! 

    Between 2012 and 2015, an article titled “Tricks to Expose Food Adulteration,” published in the Times of India and written by Divashri Sinha on May 30, 2012, included fake news that circulated the internet, causing anxiety and concern. This article claimed that ice cream contained washing powder and suggested that one way to detect it was by adding lemon juice. If the ice cream bubbles when lemon juice is added, it indicates the presence of washing powder in the dessert, which is falsely claimed to enhance its shine and appearance. 

    Although this is a minor case of misinformation, believing such articles can distort your understanding of what is real and what’s reliable information, as well as how to protect yourself from fake news.

The Impact of Misinformation

    Many individuals worry about false information regarding food or anything consumable. According to an article in PMC PubMed Central titled “Online Fake News about Food: Self-Evaluation, Social Influence, and the Stages of Change Moderation,” it states that “…the presence of misinformation in the food sector determines the creation of negative attitudes and opinions toward certain types of food (as happened for example for dairy or gluten consumption), which impact on purchase intentions and consequently can determine a permanent change in daily food habits.” 

    For instance, parents prioritize the well-being of their children, and obtaining the correct nutrients at an early age is essential for their development. If parents come across fake news regarding the contents of a branded food product, they may permanently remove that type of food from their children’s diet to ensure their safety. 

    To avoid falling for food-related misinformation, I suggest visiting certified websites such as Nutrition.gov, FoodSafety.gov, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA.gov) or food authority websites to find records of food being adulterated or to find reliable information about consumable goods.  

The Effect of Beauty Standards Pushed in Media

    Unfortunately, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Beyond misinformation related to food, beauty standards represent another significant issue that affects our mental health on a new level. Think about how beauty trends have changed over time: for example, thin eyebrows were popular in the 90s to early 2000s, while fuller, well-groomed eyebrows are the standard today. 

    I highly recommend reading an article titled “How the ‘Ideal’ Female Body Has Changed over Time” by Professor Viren Swami from Anglia Ruskin University. It acknowledges the drastically changing ideals of female beauty over the decades. Understanding that one can never truly fit every beauty standard from different eras can cause anxiety in some people. The constant pressure from society to fit into an idealized figure or perfect appearance can lead to low self-esteem, confidence issues, anxiety, and depression. 

    Social media platforms like Instagram, home to many beauty influencers, shape how we perceive ourselves and others. Beauty isn’t something that changes every few decades. It’s not something that a social media influencer can tag and sell products for, so you can “fix” yourself to better fit the standards. Beauty is subjective, and the sooner society understands this, the better it will be for everyone struggling to keep up with this exhausting “competition”. 

    To avoid getting pulled down the rabbit hole of near-impossible standards, I suggest limiting your time on social media. I agree that disconnecting can be challenging, especially after so many days of relying on social media for your morning boost of dopamine! I’m not saying to completely disregard social media; rather, I suggest finding a balance. 

How Do We Combat These Feelings?

    Excessive time on social media equates to excessive screen time, which can take a toll on your mental health for a variety of reasons. It can disrupt your sleep schedule, increase anxiety, and depression, and lead to chronic sleep deprivation, as noted by The Ohio State University in their article titled “How Less Screen Time Benefits Eyes, Brain, Mental State, and Overall Mental Health.” 

    I recommend reading that book your friend has been urging you to pick up for the past five months. It will give you something to talk about the next time you hang out together. Or take a walk with a family member. How long have you been cooped up in your room? It’s a good idea to chat and get some fresh air, right? 

    Alternatively, you could try journaling. Create some prompts and place them in a jar, so that every time you feel the urge to reach for your phone and scroll through social media, you have a jar full of fun prompts to write about instead. All these activities can ease your mind and give you a sense of accomplishment and productivity. 

    Now that I’m done writing, I’ll be going out for a walk soon. I hope you’ll also practice some form of digital detox every day this April.