Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Spending a lot of time in the virtual world is resulting in several mental health concerns among adolescents. Citing this, a webinar was held for youth in Indore by Create Stories NGO.
Quoting the effects of social media on youngsters from findings of a research published in National Library of Medicine, spiritual guide Devyani Hada said, “Extensive research on the quantity and quality of SM use has shown an association between social media use and depression in adolescents.”
A participant Nikita Sharma argued, “Social media provides many of us, like me, with a sense of support, self-expression, and creativity.”
Agreeing with it, Hada said, “However, it can also expose people to bullying, peer pressure, unrealistic views of others, and inappropriate content.”
She added that excessive social media use can increase the risk of mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. “Social media can also affect their sleep, distraction, and body image,” Hada said.
Though social media is affecting our lives in some positive and many negative ways, we can manage this by simple steps.
Advising ways to manage social media usage and dealing with virtual world, Hada suggested the following:
• Limit your time on social media
• Connect with friends and family in person
• Change your social media settings to private so that only people you know and accept can view your social media profiles
• Be careful with sharing
• Protect yourself and others
• Take a social media break
• Monitor your screen time
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