Social Media vs. Mindfulness
/I’m having a social media crisis.
How in the world do mindfulness and social media exist together?
I was very inspired to create a community for mindfulness in hopes it could lead to greater sense of wellbeing and intentional living initially. The vision was that a group of us with similar goals would feel supported and encouraged. A place to go when we are on our phones anyways - that would inspire us rather than fill us with feelings of inadequacy or fear of missing out. (Metta Mindfulness on FB, Mindfulness Based Coach on Instagram) I’m happy to hold that kind of space. I love to engage in these conversations.
The crisis is that I feel that I may be perpetuating a problem.
Do you relate to this?:
I’m relaxed and pull up Facebook or Instagram
Quick scroll through
See alarming news articles, posts on how I could improve my life, take in what the large network of friends and people I admire decide is important to share, and things I’d like to do
Read a few things that are inspiring, smile or laugh about some great photos, get a few dopamine hits (thank goodness for replies, likes and comments)
Connect with a couple groups I host, usually wishing for more engagement (not your fault), wondering if anything is making difference
30 mins or hours! slip by…
Finally decide it’s time to turn off my phone, try to shake off a daze or feeling like any motivation is far from my reach, wind out of my sails, I’m a blob. AN ENERGY SUCK.
What input are you lugging around you when you finish with social media? Am I doing this wrong?
Personally, I walk away remembering the latest news, which the mind choses to prioritize, that is bad at best, gut-wrenching, often. In my body, I feel tense and fatigued - overwhelmed by the amount of information I took in, in a small amount of time, packed into what feels like a too-crowded space. Whew. All those other nice things that happened in the vortex which is my phone have had, truthfully, very little impact.
Clearly, I am MINDFUL of what occurs within myself on social media and how that affects my outer experience. I see it in others and hear it from close friends. Can mindfulness and social media really exist together? Bringing people to social media for a well-intentioned group or information - is that actually pulling people away from true mindfulness and creating a life rich with meaningful experiences and relationships? Posting what I find useful - is that merely contributing to the noise and chaos?
Is the best mindfulness tip I can offer - to stay off of social media and practice mindfulness in our lives instead?
I know that Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok can be a fun way to connect all kinds of people from all over the world, to get the word out, to discuss things you might not otherwise in person. I understand that these online platforms can be a beautiful way to share photos and notes about what is filling your heart and what you’re excited about.
However, I believe I’ve come to the conclusion that the benefits of social media do not outweigh the negative qualities and outcomes. And I’m not wrong: 5,208 adult Facebook users were studied for two years, their life satisfaction and mental and physical health over time recorded. For all, the greater Facebook use - the worse off their mental and physical health. The way people interacted did. not. matter.
Mindfulness around social media is this…
It’s the awareness of how our use of social media impacts our life, our emotional health, and the way it manifests in our bodies. It is the practice of non-judgment and being intentional about how we want to contribute to the world and what we want to get from the experience.
I’d love to hear from you. How does social media impact your life?
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