The past 7 months of 2021 are the happiest months that I’ve had since Social Media came on the scene in the early 2000s. At 10 years old, my dad allowed me to create my first AOL screen name, dkjoyce. Then, at 11 years old, I taught myself HTML & JavaScript coding & created my first website “Neecie’s Mystic Universe” hosted by Angelfire. Since 1999, I’ve been maintaining a public online presence, which ultimately became the demise of my happiness. Beginning with MySpace, followed by Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., I got caught up in the world of who has the most friends/followers, likes, & retweets/shares. While I thought getting validation from others made me happy, instead, I realize now that it’s everything I’ve stopped doing that’s made me the happiest. That said, if you’ve been looking for solutions to help your mental health, here’s a list of things to STOP doing on Social Media.
Things to STOP Doing on Social Media:
- Believing that your Social Media channels determine your self-worth
- Checking who has viewed your Instagram Stories
- Comparing yourself to others
- Deleting posts or tweets that don’t have enough engagement
- Feeling embarrassed about the things that give you joy
- Following celebrities or influencers who make you feel bad about yourself or your life
- Reading old comments, DMs, & threads
- Refreshing your notifications
- Scrolling back in time & dwelling about the past
- Trying to impress others
“Comparison is the thief of joy.” – Theodore Roosevelt
As Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Remember, Social Media is everyone’s life through rose-colored glasses. Do not let having amazing content to post, a huge following, or more likes than the average person determine how you perceive yourself. Personally, I hate the Memories tab on Facebook. Now, when I see something that I posted for attention from 10+ years ago, I delete it immediately. I now use my Social Media as a visual journal & a platform to share who I truly am & what I love with the world.
XO Denise
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