Steemit Engagement Challenge / S13W2 - "Protect Your Mental Health From Social Media Dangers"

The invention of social media has drastically changed the way we communicate, interact with each other from far or close distances. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter(X) have given us the opportunity to connect with people all around the globe, share our experiences and thoughts in an instant. Unfortunately, these platforms have also brought about some new challenges which has been a major concern to one's physical, mental and community health.
In this article today, I'll be exploring the pros and cons of social media on our lives and how we can find ways to use it in a productive and healthy manner.

Join me as we delve into this topic.

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Social media has become an integral part of my life. It has been way for connecting with people (friends and family), share thoughts, experience and share information. It is also one of the ways I find like-minded people and communities built-in for shared interest. I spend few hours, scrolling down feeds, reels from people and pages I follow. It is amazing how it has changed my interactions with people of similar interest and learning everyday.

As for the hours I spend on social media platform, I don't spend too much time on social media platform like the Facebook, Twitter X, Thread and Instagram.
I use the WhatsApp very well because it is my favorite platform which I use to easily connect with people and get in touch with friends and family steadily. I use the WhatsApp virtually anytime I'm not busy at a moment.... I visit the Instagram few days in a week to view latest trends and videos.

Steemit is the second social media platform which is decentralized and built on Blockchain technology, where I spend time on. I can't calculate the time because I usually come on and off on Steemit to create post, curate and comment on people's post....

As a student and content writer, social media has become a positive part of my life despite the negative consequences it has other users when misused...

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1. The first negative Impact on my list is cyberbulling. Cyberbulling is a major problem on social media, and it can cause destructive effects on the targeted victims. It can result to anxiety, depression and even suicide.
2. It can create a lack of privacy because nowadays, people share their private and personal information to the general public online with considering the negative Impact.
3. It can create the Fear Of Missing Out(FOMO). This is the major cause of social media addiction and making people feel the need to be connected all the time to avoid been left out or missed out.
4. Social media can encourage and promote unhealthy practices like bad sleeping habit(sleeping late or not at all) and unhealthy comparison creating insecurity, envious feeling and inadequacy.
5. It can also create an unrealistic sense of connection and community, making people feeling the need to stay isolated when they're offline .......

Additionally, social media can provide a platform for false expectations about life, career and relationship resulting to unhappiness and disappointment.

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Every social media platform has it own rules and regulations guiding it usage, so here are my opinions to make social media healthy in our environment.

1. Set limits on the amount of time, you spend on every or some social media platforms and take regular rest/break from it.
2. Use the so called social media to connect with people in a meaningful way such as education, business etc, rather than using it to pass time.
3. Understand the concept of privacy and don't share personal info you wouldn't want the whole world to know in an instant.
4. Do not engage in self comparison with other people on social media, rather focus on your personal unique experience and journey.
5. And finally be allergic to harmful, hate speech and fake news. If you see something harmful, don't engage with it, report it to the platform if possible and block the user if necessary. Also receive news from verified sources.

To sum it all up, the key to the prevention of mental health issues caused by social media is being so mindful of the impact it can generate in our life. It is a good thing to maintain a clear balance between your online and your offline world and to make sure the social media turns out to be a positive force than a negative one.
If you coincidentally notice it has interfered with your relationship, or mood, it is clear to take a step back and maximize your use of social media ...
Finally remember you have the power to decide what impact, social media has on your life by how, when and why you use it. ..

Thanks for reading...

I invite @bossj23, @adunni, @allison001, @jozzie90 and @blessingogah-1 to participate...