Lifestyle

Do you use Social Networks for a Long Time? These are the Effects they can have on you

January 17, 2018684 views0

Do you use social networks for a long time? These are the effects they can have on you

Social networks are a new phenomenon that has revolutionized our lives. Now we have a window to see how our friends live day to day, we share with them (and many strangers) the most important moments, the most routine and even the food we consume.

Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have changed a lot the way we consume the news and also the way in which we communicate, but not all the changes have been for the better. According to a study, the average person will spend five years checking the social networks in their life. We spend many hours of our days checking our accounts on social networks and that is affecting us in ways you never imagined.

You can become addicted

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If you use social networks then you know how difficult it is to resist the temptation to review them from time to time. While addiction to social networks is not a formal diagnosis, but Internet addiction is, and excessive use of social networks can be part of it.

According to a study by the Nottingham Trent University, addiction to social networks can be a problem that needs professional attention. It is not a question of a person reviewing his Facebook account many times, but by neglecting other aspects of his life. The researchers found that excessive use is linked to problems in relationships, poor academic results and less participation in communities in real life.

We Payless Attention

The average person spends less than a minute on a web page and reads less than a quarter of a text, according to a Nielsen Group report. That’s why the texts are getting shorter and the videos too. Social networks and the Internet in general are affecting our attention span.

In fact, it seems we have less ability to care for a fish, at least that ‘s according to a study by Microsoft Corp . in 2015 and that maintains that people lose their ability to concentrate after eight seconds, while a fish does after nine. That study was already debated, but the fact remains: the immediacy and the amount of content that we have at our fingertips are affecting the time we spend paying attention to things.

It can cause Depression

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Social networks are ironic: on the one hand, they bring us closer to people who are on the other side of the world, and on the other, they isolate us completely. This happens because we have direct access to the lives of others and almost unconsciously end up comparing ourselves with them.

According to a study by the University of Lancaster , comparing yourself with others in social networks can make you more prone to depression (when you spend time offline, but you still think about a post on Facebook), it can make things worse. Of course, the causes of depression are much more complex than just using Facebook, but the constant comparison with the lives of others does not help with mental health.

More “Friends” does not mean more support

The amount of followers you have on Instagram does not mean you are a more sociable person. Most of us have few strong ties and in the end, these are more important than the hundreds of virtual friends we can generate on social networks.

You may believe that you are being very sociable by interacting with other people on Facebook, but the links that really matter are outside of social networks and need more work than a few likes.

How can we avoid these Negative Effects?

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Not everything related to social networks is necessarily bad. Using them can help us find old friends and keep in touch with loved ones who live far away, but as with many other things, excessive use can have negative effects.

We should not stop enjoying all the fun of watching videos on YouTube and look at the photos of our friends on Instagram, but we need to be aware of our users and do certain things to avoid being affected.

The Following Things are recommended by psychologists to enjoy our networks without fear:

Seek to Live Authentically

Do not let the pressure of how others live their lives (or at least as they show on networks) dictate how you should live yours.
Be aware of the price you can pay to give so much value to the “perfection” of the networks.
Accept your imperfections and show them on social networks.
Replace prejudice with empathy when you find people who fall for the charm of appearances on social networks. If you do not judge others harshly, you will also be kinder to you, according to the psychologist.
If networks make you feel very bad, it is best to take a “vacation” for a week or two.

That way you can enjoy everything that the Internet has to offer (which is a lot) and take advantage of all the good that it brings, but without paying a price for your mental health.