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Social Media and Mental Health?

DigbyDevon

Hi all,

Over the past few months my mental health has been a bit rocky which has been made worse by social media. I suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder which latches on to anything negative, low and behold social media is terrible for that.

What i have found is leaving X (Twitter) and reducing my time spent on Facebook has helped make life a bit easier.

I was just curious if anyone else had to reduce their social media in take due to their mental health?

  • Hello Digby,

    My Twitter account was closed years ago after the toxicity became too great, and that was before it became 'X'.  LinkedIn was binned earlier than Twitter; being retired made that decision easy, as I could see that it was not the same place I had joined.  Last week I logged out of Facebook and deleted the app from my phone.  Now I am contacting everyone I want to keep in touch with before I close that account down as well.

    So, now I have Instagram left, and I think I will keep it (unless it becomes toxic as well), as my hobby is photography.  On the recommendation of a friend, I have opened a BlueSky account, which seems to have as much political stuff as the other places, but it does seem easier to scroll by without engaging.  But it is early days; it may end up being shut down as well if I get no benefit from it.

    Spending less time on not-so-social ' social media' has been liberating, and my anxiety level is definitely much lower now.  I shall miss the interactions of a few people I knew there, but on balance it is far better for me not to engage, which I think is probably true for many autistic people.

  • in reply to emanningis

    I really like your: “It may be we are prone to thinking that is slow, detailed, nuanced, with a strong sense of justice” and the rest of your message too.
    I dread the landline ringing and much prefer the less insistent and slower pace of e-mail.

  • Hi,

    I just wanted to say well done, without to sound patronising.  It must have been very difficult for you to detach yourself from the social media. 
    I don’t even have a smart phone or a TV so I think I am safe!

  • Similar for me.

    Reducing all social media use has improved my mental health as well ( I left Reddit, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter etc. years ago)

    We do crave for connection, I think, but social media requires engaging in ways that aren't fit for some of us. And we can end up suffering OCD or ruminating.

    It may be we are prone to thinking that is slow, detailed, nuanced, with a strong sense of justice...; and are "bad" at fast, punchy exchanges.

    I struggle with instant messaging apps and sometimes phone calls as well. For me email is better (because it is a slower communication).

    We may still have a happy online life, but is usually healthier with less social media use than average.

  • I just avoid it entirely.  Toxic cesspit.