Is Facebook and Twitter Bad for Your Health?

24 Hour Cleanse

The Dr Oz show did a special on stress and suggests a 24 hour cleanse. Part of the article includes:

“Detach from social media for a full 24 hours. Sites like Facebook and Twitter can lead to a lot of anxiety when used too often. A study showed that after using social media, over two-thirds of participants had trouble sleeping and 25% of those people also had problems with relationships because of their online behaviors.”

Based off of this study done, over 66% of people lose sleep over Facebook and Twitter. 25% of those people have relationship issues. This is where you need to draw the line and delete your Facebook and/or Twitter accounts. Life is far too stressful to let something so irrelevant cause you anymore stress.

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Suggestions to Help You

Here are some suggestions I have if you are losing sleep, having relationship issues, or any stress over social media.

1. Nothing is private. You may have filters, groups, and privacy settings in place to only allow certain individuals to see what you are posting, but sometimes those fail or there are ways around them. More and more employers are starting to search the internet including Facebook and Twitter when they receive a resume or application. What better reference than the applicant themselves. If you don’t want the public to see something, then don’t put it on the internet.

2. Give your significant other your username and password. Social media often affects relationships because your significant other may think you are talking to other people. Rule that out by letting them have your username and password. It will keep yourself in check as well as relieve some worry from your significant other. Keep yourself logged in on the computer at home you are using unless you have kids running around. If you log off every time, it may look like you are trying to hide something. I have seen where couples share a page instead of having separate pages. I think that is going a little far. I like to be able to interact with my wife on Facebook. I enjoy sharing things on her wall or just little sweet posts. If we shared a page, it would get confusing and look silly!

3. Don’t have people on your friends list that you shouldn’t have. Ex’s: They don’t need to be on your friends list. That will only cause stress and trust issues. Leave the past in the past where it belongs.

4. Take breaks. Have a date night with your significant other. Leave the cell phones at home. Have an evening you just turn the cell phones off. Enjoy the company of your significant other that is sitting right there with you instead of letting social media distract you. If you find you are on Facebook or Twitter many hours of the day, set limits for yourself. Ask a friend or significant other to help keep you in check.

5. Keep your Facebook/Twitter accounts drama free. Political posts definitely will reel the drama in. Posting about other people, details on issues with significant others, friends, or family will cause plenty of drama as well. People often use social media to verbally attack someone they are arguing with and draw a bunch of attention to themselves. That is usually why they do it, for the attention. People reading your posts are seeing 1 side of the argument. It gets worse when the person you are mad at replies back. You then have an audience of potentially millions of people to see your fight about forgetting the ketchup at the store or leaving the bathroom door open and the dog then gets in the bathroom and gets in the trash.

6. Delete delete delete! If social media is truly causing you stress, losing sleep, or relationship issues, then delete it! It’s not worth making yourself sick or losing someone you care about. I grew up without social media and my life turned out great.

Is Social Media Ruling Your Life?

I use Facebook to keep in touch with loved ones and friends. I like to see what they are up to since I am so busy with work and my own family and do not always have time to pick up the phone or write a letter to see how someone is. I also use Facebook to promote my writing. I use Twitter only for promoting my writing. It isn’t something that I have to be on for hours and hours. I don’t lose sleep over social media. My wife can access my accounts anytime she wants, and I can access hers. We don’t though because there is no need to, but the option is there. Do not let social media rule your life.

Be mature, be responsible, and remember nothing is private when using social media.