People are social creatures and social media has become all too present and consuming in our daily lives. It is important to remember that social media can never be a replacement for real-life human connection. Spending too much time on social media can make you feel more lonely and isolated and increase mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.

Research has proven that if you take social media too seriously, it can have a negative impact on your well-being. By reevaluating the connection you have with social media, you can improve your overall mental and emotional health.

Pick your poison: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and others all have the ability to allow us to feel connected, supported and even loved by others. On the flip side, they also have the ability to make us feel envious, excluded and rejected. We need to teach ourselves not to conform to nor completely abandon from them. We need to establish a healthy middle ground.

You can easily remain sane on social media by compartmentalizing your life from the lives of others that you see on the internet.

The reality is that people who post on social media have control over how others see them. Whether it be their accomplishments, vacations or promotions, what they choose to show the world is mostly the good. Rarely do people post the negative aspects of what is happening in their lives and when we are exposed to the ones that constantly post negatively, this can be mentally draining and just as bad for our own mental health.

Sometimes people choose to post for their own self-esteem and popularity. Even photographs have been covered by filters. Did you know that TikTok has a range of filters that one can use while making a video before posting? What you see isn’t always reality. When you compare yourself to this truly unattainable and unrealistic standard, you set yourself up to feel unsatisfied with your own life and your personal self and it can actually cause you to feel depressed.

One important thing to remember is that if and when you are having a bad day, the place to go to feel better is NOT the internet. Call a family member or a close friend, someone you can feel vulnerable with. Allow them to listen to you and offer any support they can. A human connection is so much more gratifying and helpful than a virtual experience online. No matter how much scrolling you do on social media, the problem you are facing will still be there when you stop. It may be an escape for a while but the reality is that it can actually do more harm.

I certainly am not recommending that you completely quit social media by closing your accounts. Doing that can only deepen any feelings of social isolation. There are things you can do to stop comparing yourself and your life to others.

Never read into anything. Your inner peace is so vital for survival. When on social media, always take any posts or comments you read at face value. Remember you cannot see body language nor can you hear the tone or nuance of any written words. Also never read into the number of friends or followers that you have. Don’t compare your numbers to those of others.

Keep things in perspective and take everything you read with a grain of salt. When your friends are happy and successful, be happy for them. However, if you see an album with their photos covered with numerous filters, remember it’s not reality.

If you find yourself a slave to social media, try to trade that time you spend scrolling endlessly with doing something more constructive with your time. You can use that time to learn a new skill, get back into an old hobby, exercise, learn a musical instrument, get out in nature and so much more.

Life your life with fueled passion and live your best life. Instead of lying there scrolling away and living life through someone else, find your passion and live YOUR best life!