The Two Worse Things to do During the Pandemic (Other than Hoarding Sanitizer and Toilet Paper)

Social media and news platforms are the modern-day Devil.

Okay, maybe that’s a little harsh. But I don’t think it shocks anyone to hear that social media has some document negative psychological effects.

Being stuck at home for the next few weeks and months, it seems like the only thing you can do is to browse them on your free time.

Well, let’s convince you otherwise.

This article will delve into the negative effects of social media and news platforms, how they may be especially bad during the current situation, and some alternatives.

The Negative Effects of Social Media

Research says that that well-being is negatively correlated with Facebook use. In addition, the same research finds that sadness was positively correlated with Facebook use.

Researchers have been trying to figure out why social media sites like Facebook, causes lower well-being. Two likely reasons are:

Comparison

Some research indicates that when someone keeps seeing perfectly curated content of people’s lives, it makes them negatively compare to their own lives. In other words, the perfect pictures your friends post on Instagram makes you go back and reflect on your life - and sometimes deduce that your life is worse than theirs.

Loneliness

Studies indicate that social media makes people feel lonelier. Researchers think this may be happening because it encourages people to ‘social snack’. This is the practice of surfing social media platforms without interacting with anyone. For example, surfing old friends’ profiles, looking at posts, without actually interacting with them.

How it’s especially bad now

Just go on Facebook or Twitter right now, and you’ll find hundreds of posts about the Coronavirus, and how bad it is. This type of activity inspires fear in most people.

Fear isn’t something to joke with. According to the Neuroscience Education Institute, fear causes the body to release stress hormones in the body called cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. While these are great for your body in the short-term, having these hormones in your body for weeks and months leads to long-term stress.

The Australian Psychological Association (APA) says that long-term stress may lead to anxiety, depression, digestive problems, weight gain, memory and concentration impairment. In another report, the APA states that stress and especially long-term stress may lead to a weakened immune system.

The Negative Effects of Too Much Exposure to Bad News

News during these times is important but carry some of the same risks of social media. The aspect of fear associated with the news is almost identical. Especially when news channels are covering stories about deaths from Coronavirus and people who are struggling from it - to get you to keep watching.

Conclusion

Now, is it advisable to completely avoid social media and the news for the coming weeks and months?

No, not really.

But what’s suggested is to minimize your interaction with it as much as possible, because they carry some scary consequences - especially during this quarantine.

Social media and news outlets should be used only to see important updates, and then just turned off after.

With your extra time you can learn a new skill, like a foreign language, do yoga, or start blogging.

So, what are you doing to stay busy during this pandemic? Are you learning any new skills? Share with us in the comments below…

This is not medical advice; this article was created for informational purposes only. This is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Do not delay seeking medical advice or disregard it due to any content on this website or included in this post.