In my practice as a registered dietitian my patients sometimes talk with me about how social media impacts their health. On Instagram @AndreaHardyRD, I talk all about social media and whether or not you should consider doing a social media detox!
The word detox USUALLY makes me throw up in my mouth a little – but there’s one detox I can get behind!
A good ol’ social media detox. Time to get rid of content that gives crappy health advice and causes you to feel bad about yourself!
Let me preface this with the fact that I obviously love social media as a way to connect and make information accessible. It’s a fantastic tool!
But! Social media can also have a darker side. It:
- ❌shows distorted views of reality that make people feel like their lives can’t possibly measure up to what they see their friends or celebrities posting online
- ❌oversimplifies science – which can be a blessing and a curse; without nuance information can become misinformation or even be weaponized (disinformation)
Whether it’s social media making us feel bad about ourselves, a doctor leveraging cell or rat studies to push a particular agenda, or a celebrity promoting something that’s as “healthy” when in fact, it’s misguided or even downright dangerous – it can be SO incredibly easy to get swept up in it all.
If you’re feeling like social media could be affecting your mental and physical health, it might be worth considering a social media detox. But how?
Here are some ideas:
- ✅ Set time limits for your social media apps
- ✅ Delete social media apps from your phone for awhile
- ✅ Unfollow accounts that cause you to feel bad about yourself or spread misinformation
- ✅ Commit to not going on social media after a certain time of day
Regardless of how you choose to do a social media detox, it’s important to stay mindful and critical of the information you’re finding on social media. Remember – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
Recent Comments