Can Social Media Fuel Mood Disorders?
Are Facebook depression and social media anxiety getting the best of you?
Social media related depression and anxiety can be the result of envy or overstimulation, but a crucial factor that is often overlooked is the negativity and pessimism that runs out of control on Facebook.
If you're a regular Facebook user, chances are you've experienced it: A friend (or "friend") posts an insensitive, angry, or all-around negative thought that can put a damper on your otherwise good mood.
If you're not careful, negative thoughts may stick and it simmer in your mind, sending you on the road to depression and frustration.
Social media related depression and anxiety can be the result of envy or overstimulation, but a crucial factor that is often overlooked is the negativity and pessimism that runs out of control on Facebook.
If you're a regular Facebook user, chances are you've experienced it: A friend (or "friend") posts an insensitive, angry, or all-around negative thought that can put a damper on your otherwise good mood.
If you're not careful, negative thoughts may stick and it simmer in your mind, sending you on the road to depression and frustration.
Why Facebook Depression?
They say Facebook affects your mood more than any other social media site.
Like any other social situation, online or in real life, it can have either a positive or negative influence.
It can be tempting to "vent" on social networks when you're having a bad day. I've certainly been guilty of writing purely negative rants that didn't support the mental health of my Facebook friends or myself in any way.
Now, I try my best to keep every post constructive, even if it's about something serious, like political issues or social injustices.
Like any other social situation, online or in real life, it can have either a positive or negative influence.
It can be tempting to "vent" on social networks when you're having a bad day. I've certainly been guilty of writing purely negative rants that didn't support the mental health of my Facebook friends or myself in any way.
Now, I try my best to keep every post constructive, even if it's about something serious, like political issues or social injustices.
An Amazing Book for Anyone Who Struggles With Depression
Many of the simple lessons taught in this book have changed my life for the better.
Negative Thoughts Take Root and Grow Into Depression
Depression
always begins with a negative thought . . . and those buggers multiply
like rabbits. As Dr. David D. Burns says in his book Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy,
". . . the negative thoughts that flood your mind are the actual cause of your self-defeating emotions. These thoughts are what keep you lethargic and make you feel inadequate. Your negative thoughts, or cognitions, are the most frequently overlooked symptoms of your depression. These cognitions contain the key to relief and are therefore your most important symptoms."So when a friend posts a negative thought, they are quite literally increasing your risk of depression. Even though it's not intentional, they set you on a path to negativity and a poor frame of mind.
Great Books for Positive Thinking
Self-compassion
is vital if you want to enjoy life and be kind to others. This book
helps you to respond to negative thoughts in a constructive way.
Should You Keep Your Feelings Bottled Up?
This doesn't mean that you need to harbor your sad feelings. But if a person isn't part of the solution to your problem, then sharing it with them isn't going to help.
Making a vague announcement into cyberspace would be akin to walking outside and shouting your problems to everyone in the neighborhood.
And that would not be good, even if you are sober.
Chatting with or emailing a friend is a much more effective way to deal when you're feeling down in the dumps. A trusted friend will help you to work through your problems and give you the encouragement you need.
And if you feel you need a friend, first be a friend to others.
Making a vague announcement into cyberspace would be akin to walking outside and shouting your problems to everyone in the neighborhood.
And that would not be good, even if you are sober.
Chatting with or emailing a friend is a much more effective way to deal when you're feeling down in the dumps. A trusted friend will help you to work through your problems and give you the encouragement you need.
And if you feel you need a friend, first be a friend to others.
So who are these Negative Nellies in your Facebook feed?
You'll probably recognize them as one or more of the following:
(#1) The Nagging Narcissist
The
Nagging Narcissist spends most of his time on Facebook doing two
things: posting photos of himself and complaining that his life is crap
(not that it's any fault of his own).
He is always poor, yet has plenty of money for tattoos, partying, and new clothes. Many of his posts end with the acronym "FML".
He is always poor, yet has plenty of money for tattoos, partying, and new clothes. Many of his posts end with the acronym "FML".
(#2) Vague Vanishers
Vague
Vanishers always suffer from some mysterious issue. A Vague Vanisher
causes a significant amount of stress by throwing a bone out there, then
ignoring all pleas for further explanation.
"I don't know how much more I can take."
"I can't believe this has happened to me!"
"Please pray!"
Pray for what? A good night's sleep? A sick child? A benign tumor? You'll never know because she won't answer the list of commenters asking for an explanation.
"I don't know how much more I can take."
"I can't believe this has happened to me!"
"Please pray!"
Pray for what? A good night's sleep? A sick child? A benign tumor? You'll never know because she won't answer the list of commenters asking for an explanation.
Wisdom From the Young 'Uns
(#3) The Passive-Aggressive Pest
This is the friend who is always talking to some terrible individual that exists somewhere "out there".
Who is this terrible person who is ruining lives? Will he tell us?
We should be warned!
But no: the villain remains a mystery.
Posts always say something like, "I should have known better than to trust you, you took my heart and crushed it to pieces" or "Some people only want to use you, then throw you away like yesterday's garbage."
Passive-aggressive types don't want to confront people in real life, so they spew venom out into cyber-space for the rest of us to endure.
Who is this terrible person who is ruining lives? Will he tell us?
We should be warned!
But no: the villain remains a mystery.
Posts always say something like, "I should have known better than to trust you, you took my heart and crushed it to pieces" or "Some people only want to use you, then throw you away like yesterday's garbage."
Passive-aggressive types don't want to confront people in real life, so they spew venom out into cyber-space for the rest of us to endure.
What do you think?
How do YOU deal with Facebook negativity?
See results without voting(#4) The Meme Maniac
Memes and e-cards are funny ways to display funny statements or positive quotations.
And who doesn't love LolCats?
But as a knife can be used to slice bread or kill a person, a meme can be used to give you a chuckle or tear you down.
A meme that says, "Say what you mean or shut the f*** up" (a gem I saw in my feed the other day) isn't uplifting or helpful to friends.
There's even a Facebook group that specializes in memes that stay in the "I don't care what you think" spirit (and there's an F-bomb in the title). The group doesn't care what anyone thinks of them, and they take time out of their schedules to create memes reminding everyone of this fact.
And who doesn't love LolCats?
But as a knife can be used to slice bread or kill a person, a meme can be used to give you a chuckle or tear you down.
A meme that says, "Say what you mean or shut the f*** up" (a gem I saw in my feed the other day) isn't uplifting or helpful to friends.
There's even a Facebook group that specializes in memes that stay in the "I don't care what you think" spirit (and there's an F-bomb in the title). The group doesn't care what anyone thinks of them, and they take time out of their schedules to create memes reminding everyone of this fact.
(#5) The Political Patronizer
These
status updates usually begin with "Ummm" followed by remarks containing
the words "idiots," "liberals," "tea-baggers" and the like. There's no
call to action, no desire for change, just a rant that says they're
smarter than everyone else because of their political beliefs.
Don't feed the trolls!
Source: cgrothaus, CC-BY-ND, via flickr
Have a Negative Facebook Friend? Be Proactive
If
you find that a Facebook friend consistently brings you down, either
(a) hide their status updates or (b) unfriend them. There is no need to
keep negativity in your life.
If you don't want to hurt the friend's feelings or cause any unnecessary drama in your life, simply hide their updates and you never need to read their rants again. Simply hover your arrow over the upper-right corner of their status update and click the arrow that appears. Choose "hide" from the drop down menu, then click "Hide all stories from {friend's name}".
But if you don't do either of these things, remember to stay positive and keep a proper perspective as you scroll through their negativity. And whatever you do, don't feed the trolls!
If you don't want to hurt the friend's feelings or cause any unnecessary drama in your life, simply hide their updates and you never need to read their rants again. Simply hover your arrow over the upper-right corner of their status update and click the arrow that appears. Choose "hide" from the drop down menu, then click "Hide all stories from {friend's name}".
But if you don't do either of these things, remember to stay positive and keep a proper perspective as you scroll through their negativity. And whatever you do, don't feed the trolls!
Strike Back: Neutralize the Negative
Regular
status updates that uplift and inspire may not get a lot of attention,
but they will send positive messages to your Facebook friends and help
improve the overall climate. You never know: you might just share a
message that someone needs in order to protect them from Facebook
depression.
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