One of the biggest parts of our daily life is social media. The act of picking up a cell phone upon waking is almost mechanical.

However, this habit can often lead to addiction or trigger symptoms of anxiety or depression due to the obsession with presenting the “ideal image” of oneself on social media. Experts express concern about the impact of social media on mental health.

This problem has surfaced again due to the British actor. Tom Hollandwho, after a six-week absence from social media, returned from video to Instagram declaring that he is leaving him Twitter and Instagram to protect his mental health.

“I’m overloaded with social media and it ends up being very detrimental to my mental state,” said the 26-year-old actor.

However, Tom Holland is not the only one, as in recent years many celebrities have deliberately taken a “pause” from social networks, for example, the musician Ed Sheeran, Britney Spears, Justin Bieber and others.

Hateful comments, too much screen time and narcissism are some of the reasons that led them to “digital” detox. However, the issue of the use of social networks also worries politicians.

In particular, the Vice-Chancellor of Germany and the Minister of Economics Robert Hambeck stopped using Twitter in 2019, while other politicians use it daily as a mouthpiece.

Habek wrote on his blog that Twitter is unlike any other digital medium, and no other medium has so much hatred and anger.

Among “mere mortals” there is also a desire for a digital breakthrough. According to a survey by the digital association Bitkom in 2022. 1 in 10 Germans want to spend more time off social media, while about 43% of respondents have taken a break from social media at some point in order to feel better.

A University of Bath study this spring found that taking a week off reduced stress and improved participants’ mental health.

However, they may have been motivated by the fact that the participants knew in advance that they would not be using social media during the week.

Other studies see a correlation between social media use and depression. But you can’t prove what causes the other.

It is also possible that people with depressive tendencies use social media more than others, and that abstinence may have the opposite effect.

For example, results from a University of Abu Dhabi study showed how participants suffered from anxiety and loneliness when they weren’t using social media.

“It’s important to have a say in how, what, when and how much time we spend on media,” she says. Christine Langer Social Media Consultant for Shaw Heen website, media user guide, in an interview with DW.

The influence of social networks on a person’s life always depends on his personality, notes Langer.

While some benefit, others feel the pressure and envy the “ideal” life of other users.

Innovation tries to shake up “flawless” user profiles

New app from France With name “Be Real” is trying to break that taboo by introducing a new way to introduce yourself on social media. The app prompts users with a message to take a picture within two minutes.

It is not known in advance when this will happen, and editing filters cannot be put on these photos. The goal is to show more of the real face of the users and according to the app, whatever they are doing at this time, they have to take pictures of it, whether they are cooking with their partner or walking their dog…

Web site “Shaw Heen” however, it warns of the dangers of the app, as the hasty messages and the limited time they set can make the user feel uncomfortable.

It also points to constantly waiting for an app notification to arrive as another factor that doesn’t significantly change the amount of time users spend in front of a screen.

Stephanie Hapner

Source: DV