Jagdish R Sharma
There was a time when children and youths used to play outdoor games and enjoy life with their peers. The courtyards and streets of the house were abuzz with public activities. Whereas grandparents used to tell stories to their grandchildren. They also helped their parents with work and in rural areas, they helped their families with agricultural activities; thus, directly, or indirectly contributing to economic and social development. Families used to enjoy companionship while sharing the bond of love.
On the contrary, nowadays they are glued to mobiles, tablets, laptops, and other electronic gadgets, making them engrossed in the virtual world and detached from the environment around them. They may be physically confined to their homes, schools, and offices, but are virtually connected to the digital world, reducing distance and time; Thus, making the world a global village. Sitting at home with their family and friends, they relate to hundreds of people around the world. Ironically, they are separated from families, siblings, and friends. This has greatly reduced their emotional bonds and resulted in the loss of moral values and empathy. They look for a comfortable isolated corner in their respective places. They would like to be seamlessly connected to the imaginary digital social platform. Even parents have forgotten to socialize with their kids as they too are busy on social platforms. Children feel neglected and are prone to emotional breakdowns.
Undoubtedly, we are social animals and crave the company and intimacy of others to enjoy and thrive in life. There is no doubt that our social interactions can have a huge impact on our mental health and happiness. Man is a social animal who needs to connect with others socially. Social interactions help us reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, they increase our self-esteem, provide comfort and joy, prevent loneliness, even add years to our lives. On the other hand, in the absence of strong social ties, people can face serious risks to their mental and emotional health.
Attraction to social media: Nowadays, most of us have access to social media through our smartphones or tablets. It is very convenient to be in touch, the virtual world is the only mode that is always accessible 24×7. Due to its availability round the clock, hyper-connectivity can trigger impulse control problems. Constant alerts and notifications affect our concentration and attention, disturb our sleep, and make us slaves to our phones.
Social media platforms are designed in such a way that they grab our attention, keep us online, and make us susceptible to frequently checking our screens for updates. This addiction has escalated to such a dangerous level that we can leave or ignore the guests sitting next to us. A lack of attention to our intimate relationships can sow the seeds of mistrust. And we can lose our credibility. Like a gambling compulsion and addiction to nicotine, alcohol, or drugs, social media use can create psychological anxiety. When we get a like, share, or favourable response to our post, it can trigger the release of dopamine in the brain. This pleasure syndrome compels us to spend more and more time on social media. We fail to understand when it becomes harmful to other aspects of our lives. This is how companies trap us to get money. We unknowingly fall prey to their prey. There is every possibility of declination in our social, moral, and physical health.
Social platforms cannot be substituted for the real world:
Today most of us rely on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, and Instagram to find, connect and chat with each other. They all have advantages for the purpose they are created but it is most important to remember that social media can never be a substitute for real-world human connections. Having personal contact with others is essential for reducing stress and releasing hormones that make us feel happier, healthier, more positive, and mentally healthy. It’s just like a baby needs a loving pat and touch from the mother to feel relieved. Is it possible, the mother can do all this online with her child and her children will feel the same? Ironically, digital technology designed to bring people together has become a necessary evil. But the ground reality is that spending too much time on social media can leave you feeling lonely and isolated. At the same time, it has also increased mental health problems like anxiety and depression.
Some positive aspects of social media
We know that virtual interactions on social media have little to no advantage over the psychological benefits of the real world. Face-to-face contact releases happy hormones like oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin that give you pleasure when you meet. There are many positive ways the virtual world can help you stay connected and support your well-being.
Social media has empowered rich and poor, old, and young alike. Social media has helped families and friends around the world stay connected and communicate better. Many offices around the world have allowed their employees to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. E-governance has helped the public and governments across the world to carry out their activities. Online classes were also helpful during the Covid-19 endemic.
We may find new friends and communities; Network with others who share similar interests or ambitions. We can promote worthwhile causes, Raising awareness on important issues. Emotional support can be sought and shared during difficult times. If we live in a remote area, have limited independence, have social anxiety, or are part of a marginalized group, we may find a necessary social connection. It provides a platform for sharing creativity and self-expression. We can find many sources of valuable information and learning but with utmost care.
Negative aspects of social media
Several studies have found a strong link between excessive use of social media and an increased risk of depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm, and even suicidal thoughts.
It has the potential to foster negative experiences such as ruthlessness about our lives or appearance. Manipulated images on social media can make us feel insecure about how we look or what is going on in our own lives. On the other hand, most people only share the bright side of their lives, but rarely the low points that everyone experiences. Feelings of envy and resentment creep in as you scroll through a friend’s airbrushed photos of vacationing in hill stations, learning about their exciting new promotions at work, and buying a new car. Some unfavourable comments can get us into trouble and dislikes have a negative effect on our mental health and can create hostility.
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) has been around for more than fifteen years. Social media, sites like Facebook and Instagram add to the feeling that others are living a better life than us and that there are no problems in their lives. This affects our self-esteem. This eventually leads to anxiety and a growing desire for social media. FOMO syndrome may force you to pick up your phone every few minutes to check for updates or respond to each alert – even if it means taking risks while you’re driving, getting sleepless nights, or having priority over social media interactions rather than the real world around.
Synchronization with Virtual World: Against the backdrop of the arguments, several studies suggest that we need not so much cut back on our social media use but be more mindful and prudent. They can have beneficial results on our mood and focus and improve our mental health. We still benefit from reducing the amount of time we spend on social media and prioritizing the people we have. For most of us, this means reducing the screen time on our smartphones, turning off our phones at certain times of day; While driving, during meetings, at the gym, while eating at social gatherings. Avoid phone in the bedroom, bathroom, disable social media notifications. Try removing social media apps from the phone so that they can only be checked on Facebook, Twitter, and the like from your tablet or computer. If this seems like a too drastic step, try deleting one social media app at a time to see how much you really miss it. Changing the focus and spending more time with offline friends and developing the habit of expressing gratitude.
Monitor and limit your child’s use of social media. We may also adjust privacy settings on different platforms to limit potential exposure to threats or predators
Apply the “social media” brake. For example, you can ban social media until your child has finished their homework in the evening, allow phones at the dinner table or in their bedroom for a limited period, and plan family activities, that prevent the use of phones or other devices. To enjoy family gatherings in the evening, it is advisable to switch off the internet two hours before bedtime. We will have to synchronize with the technology while enjoying our lives. We cannot ignore the latest technology and modern means of communications and interactions. We must create a sort of balance and synchronize our life with the latest progressive techniques. Peace of mind is also of paramount importance. “A sound mind is in a sound body” is a Greek proverb that emphasizes that the mind and body should be both healthy and sound. A healthy person can think normally and act instantly in any given situation and have harmonious relations with others. It’s better to wake up to assess your online habits and find a healthy balance for a happy future.
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