A common human truth is that when something becomes popular, there will always be a negative reaction. So now that social media has become an intrinsic part of our daily lives, people have started to resent the power they have over them and all kinds of vilification has taken place. I’ve noticed that the initial complaints have gained traction and traction, appearing in respected publications like Forbes and Fox News (just kidding, just to make sure you’re paying attention). Detractors have even coined a new psychological phrase in an attempt to validate their claims: social media anxiety disorder, which can be attractively shortened to SMAD.
Several studies have come out in the last two years showing that this new disorder can cause the following:
- Envying your friend who just bought that new portable coin display case you’ve been eyeing
- Being embarrassed by his overly emotional tirade about why cats should get citizenship status
- Feeling inadequate when you see that a friend won a Nobel Prize for inventing an amazing sauce
- Falling into depression after realizing that you can never get over your friend’s “Facespace” pun wit.
- Feeling overwhelmed with loneliness when you realize all your friends live online
- Sitting in your pajamas pressing update on your Twitter feed for hours on end
- Obsession to know why your partner liked a post about yogurt: he hates yogurt!
In response, I’d like to offer this humble advice: If you’re experiencing any of the above, it’s your fault, not social media’s. Don’t shoot the messenger.
Here are some easy ways to combat SMAD:
- Instead of focusing on your feelings of envy over good news, accomplishments, vacations, or other achievements shared by friends, let the excitement run its course and then focus on feeling happy for them. Would this news make you feel any different if you heard it in person? Probably not, and at least with social media, you can experience your negative feelings in your own time and space, instead of being put on the spot and forced to give a positive response.
- When you do something embarrassing on social media, just accept it (if you can’t go back quickly and fix it). We all do embarrassing things, and I’m sure your daily “real” life is full of them. You can easily slip on the ice in front of a group of school children. Also, remember that most people are too busy worrying about what other people think of them to have time to judge you.
- Instead of feeling inadequate, be competitive! Invent your own amazing sauce.
- Keep it in perspective. Many people complain that social media causes all these ill effects, but that’s because people have allowed it to influence them so strongly. Remember that sending a silly tweet isn’t the end of the world (unless you somehow drop multiple nukes at once).
- Don’t let the time you spend on social media affect face-to-face interactions. Many of the articles I’ve read complain about families sitting around and tweeting instead of talking during the holidays or over dinner. Once again, I would like to point out that this is not the fault of social networks.
- Those who are predisposed to anxiety, obsession, or addiction should take special care when accessing social media, just as they would any potential trigger. Those who experience these feelings only in relation to social media should take some time to explore the deeper reasons behind this response.
In all seriousness, social media is like any human interaction in that it opens us up to a world of different emotions. Perhaps its virtual nature makes us more susceptible to certain negative feelings, but it also allows us to instantly share positive feelings with those who are far away, which in an increasingly globalized society is now more important than ever.
