Posting on social media about birthdays, celebrations or accomplishments in life allow us to share those occasions with our family and friends no matter where they
are and that is a powerful tool. However, social media, which can be really beneficial, can also be harmful, and in this video we are going to go through some of the negative
effects of social media. Social media can make some people have unrealistic expectations or a negative body image. You can scroll through many different social
media sites and find a sea of beautiful people with perfect bodies. Walk into any public place and you will see a more realistic version of what society looks like,
not everyone is drop dead gorgeous with a perfectly toned body. The truth is that on social media you are only seeing the absolute best physical version of people,
many times it took 64 photos, or an hour of touchup on a photo editing software program to produce that immaculate version of them. Next time you are scrolling
through the sea of beautiful people, keep in mind that just because someone looks in great shape in a photo, doesn’t mean they are healthy or happy, and no one rolls out of
bed in the morning and looks stunning. Social media can have an effect on loneliness and make some people feel more isolated. More and more studies are showing that
the more a person spends on social media sites the more likely they are to feel isolated and tend to have less engagement with others. This feeling can be enhanced
by seeing photos or videos of friends having a great time at an event that they did not, or could not attend, making them feel like they are missing out. Remember, social
media is not a good substitute for real in person face to face interactions and in many cases, portrays a distorted version to the viewer. Too much social media can lead to
poor sleep patterns and a lower quality of sleep. Many people get in bed and reach for that phone one last time before going to sleep. Check the socials for about 5
minutes, and then bed time. Well, an hour and a half later, they are still checking the socials for that final time. It is easy to just whisk time away getting caught up by the
powerful algorithms these sights hook people with. Research is also showing that exposure to the light emitted by devices can also disrupt the production of melatonin
in the body, which helps regulate sleep and the mental arousal prior to sleep can also be detrimental to sleep. A good strategy is to keep devices out of reach from your bed,
and don’t allow yourself to go down that rabbit hole. Social media can have severe effects on some people’s moods, from envy and jealously to downright anger.
Viewing post after post of friends, family and even strangers having a great time on vacation, or buying a new car, or completing an expensive home renovation
can cause jealously in some people. Certain political posts or posts about current hot topic issues can evoke anger and end decades long friendships. For some people,
getting bombarded with social media posts about various things can actually change their mood, walking away from the device angry or envious. If social media is
affecting you this way, it is probably negatively effecting your health and maybe it’s time to unplug and take some time off, or at least decrease the amount of time
you are spending on social media. Social media can cause self-absorption in some people. These social media platforms provide a vehicle for people to advertise
themselves. A great photo or video walking on the beach, then one on hiking trail, then one at a 4 star restaurant, and finish it off with a great shot with the moon in
the background. Looks like these people had great vacations, or, they spent all of their time trying to set up the perfect shot to post on social media, and were stressed
out because of this, the whole time they were on vacation. There is nothing wrong with taking photos and sharing them online, but don’t let it become about self-
promotion and get in the way of actually enjoying your time out with people. Social media can also negatively affect relationships. If you go out to a restaurant and take a
look around, you will see many people, phone in hand scrolling through their social media accounts. Some times even all 4 family members at the same table doing it.
When you go out to spend time with family and friends, this is when real social connections happen, and these social interactions are beneficial to your health.
Getting to sit and talk with other people helps us to unwind in an enjoyable stress free environment. So, when you go out to socialize, be present and actually socialize,
and leave the phone alone. Viewing post after post of beautifully cultured plates of food can actually make you eat more. Some studies have shown that looking at
pictures of food can raise the levels of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates hunger, and even viewing photos or videos of social peers eating can influence our own eating
habits. So, in both of these cases, hunger and eating is triggered by social media, not by how much we have already eaten, or if we are even hungry. Be mindful,
if you are scrolling through your accounts and suddenly desire a glazed doughnut, ask yourself if you're actually really hungry. Social media can also be extremely addictive.
It is easy to check in on socials and scroll here and click here and watch this clip and that clip and boom! 3 hours has passed by, gone just like that.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is released in the brain that plays a role in feeling pleasure. It is released when we eat certain foods, when we are intimate with a
partner, it can even be released during positive social interactions, and social media can also trigger a dopamine release. This can happen from getting likes or follows
or subscribers on the social platforms or from getting notifications from these sites. You can even get a dopamine kick from just scrolling and clicking through,
looking at picture after video after picture. The dopamine train can be difficult to get off of, so be conscious of your relationship with social media and keep your usage
to a rate that is healthy for you. Social media can also cause depression in some people. People only post the highlights of their lives, picture after picture or video
after video of how great their life seems to be. They are not going to share that they just failed a test, or had authorities show up to their house because of a domestic
dispute, or that they themselves are struggling financially. When you are only seeing the highlights of others, it can make you feel like you lead a boring uneventful life,
which can lead to feelings of sadness, low self esteem and even depression. It can be a good idea to limit your social media time and understand that no one leads a life
that is always full of joy and pain free, remember, you are only seeing what people want you to see. Social media has plenty of positives to go along with the negatives,
as with most things in life, it usually comes down to moderation. Alright my friends, hopefully you got something out of this video, if not, if you feel this video is an
absolute and utter piece of garbage don't forget to Boom. Pound that thumbs down and give me some immediate punishment for wasting your precious time.
If however you feel this video was maybe average, or maybe even slightly above average, well in that case,
I do have more videos right there that you might have an interest in, till next time, I am outta here.