That escalated quickly... a word about social media right now

Since I last posted on this site, COVID-19 completely changed our world as we know it. In early 2020 when I started this site, I could feel social media going in a different direction.

People were scared of social media.

People used it in unhealthy ways.

People allowed it to influence every area of their lives.

Now, we see this playing out in real-time on a much larger scale.

Social media, RIGHT NOW, is directly impacting both our mental and our physical health. It's causing panic, confusion, anger, resentment and many other negative emotions.

Misinformation as also as rampant as ever, as people share what they've learned from their partner's-sister's-cousin's-friend's-uncle and pass it on as accurate information.

Here's what we KNOW about social media, based on the research presented in the last few months of studying social media's impact on our mental health:

1. Social media is an exaggerator. If you're already an anxious person or prone to depression, increased social media use can result in a lower quality of mental health.

2. Moderation is more important than ever, and it's the one thing researchers seem to agree on.

3. Misinformation is everywhere. You may be sharing it without realizing it.

4. You must follow reliable sources because the content you follow in your news feeds can impact you in several ways.

By doing and remembering these four things, you will be in much better shape to deal with a world in chaos. Do yourself a favor and make sure you continue to build a healthy relationship with social media, especially at a time like this.

And, most importantly, remember that it's okay to step away.