Mindful use of social media occurs when a user is aware of their environment, sensations, thoughts, and feelings during social media consumption.
Practicing mindfulness when it comes to social media can significantly improve mental health, encouraging self-awareness and assistance in regulating the complicated emotions which can come with social media use. Meditation is a great way to start, with many apps and online tutorials there to help. Meditation calms the mind, improves overall well-being and can lead to the creation of a balanced relationship with digital platforms.
We spend so much time on social media, so it’s important to understand how it affects us. Just like we pay attention to what we eat and how it impacts our bodies, we should do the same with social media.
Taking a break to breathe and just be present in the moment makes you start to realize how important it is to be aware of the little things in life. Making the choice to put down your phone and focus on yourself is a great start. just 5 minutes of meditation a day will Not only improve Your focus, but gain many other benefits as well.
Some helpful links:
Apps that can help:
Headspace offers guided meditations and mindfulness exercises, structured for beginners to build daily meditation habits. Calm provides a range of soothing sounds and meditation sessions to help users. With both apps, users can start to easily integrate mindfulness into their daily lives.
Works Cited
Managing Social Media Stress With Mindfulness
How Meditation Offsets the Damaging Effects of Social Media
A brief mindfulness meditation
Overcoming the Grip of Social Media
The effect of mindfulness on online self-presentation, pressure, and addiction on social media
All photos from Adobe express.
Joline Blais, New Media 200 - Designing Humane Tech