Social media is a great way to keep your finger on the pulse of the community around you. This way, you never have to actually experience FOMO, as you pre-emptively avoid it by already being “in the know.”
Therefore, social media is not all bad; indeed, it’s far from it. While we need to maintain an appropriate balance between our online life and our real lived experience, we can certainly utilise social media to benefit our emotional wellbeing.
In summary, when it comes to social media, a wise and balanced approach makes all the difference between your electronic devices being either agents of toxicity or tools of self-improvement. Using the advice above, hopefully, the latter will more often be the case.
See also: FOMO: What It Is And How To Overcome It
A note on World Mental Health Day
We should continually strive to fight the stigma surrounding mental health issues, and there’s no better time to start than today. Reach out, engage, educate, and be compassionate. No effort ever goes unappreciated, and you never know the positive impact that sharing your story may have on others.
Dr. Michael Eason is a psychologist and US licensed therapist practising at MindnLife in Central, Hong Kong.