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Humans are social creatures and thrive on interpersonal interactions. In order to maintain a healthy psychological, as well as physical, well-being we need to socialize. Social media is a growing platform for communication, engagement, and interaction. It gives us tools and resources to connect with each other that haven’t existed before. We are able to maintain connections created as well as create new connections, whether with others across the street or across the world. It has become so much easier for users of social media to keep in touch with loved ones.
Personally, I use social media as a way to keep in contact with my extended family. While my immediate family and I reside in North Carolina, all the rest of my extended family lives in Michigan or Florida. It would be hard to keep up with the little victories, moments of trouble, and big events of all of them without social media platforms like Facebook. It is a network that my family can use to keep up with each other in meaningful ways in just moments of time. For example, my cousin and his wife had a baby, and while I have never met the little angel, I have gotten the chance to watch his adorableness grow with each post, picture, or video.
While there is plenty of evidence suggesting that social media has negative effects on mental health and wellbeing. A study done by researchers at the University of Missouri have shown that people who utilize social media with the intention of making and maintaining personal connections experience positive effects of social media. When used this way social media provides users with feelings of belonging, connection, and happiness. Another study approached the effects of social media in a different way. This study explores the therapeutic benefits of social media particularly on individuals that are prone to emotional instability. Eva Buechel and Jonah Berger (2012) find that emotional writing on social media paired with the potential of social support helps individuals with emotional instability cope with negative events. So social media can act as a therapeutic tool and be utilized as a positive and adaptive coping skill. It is the connection that these individuals needed but could not receive in different settings that allowed them to cope with negative events and negative emotions in a healthy manner.
While in person “real-life” interactions are vitally important for maintaining relationships and for a healthy psychological wellbeing, social media is making it easier for users to connect the moment they need support. As with all things in life moderation and balance are the key to happiness and success. Using social media from a perspective of connecting and engaging with BOTH social media interactions and in person interaction can help a person live their best life.
In the next post, I will be discussing the negative effects social media can have on a person’s social connections and how it can create feelings of loneliness and depression. Til next time. xoxo