Ep. 132: Do You Need A Break From Social Media?
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“We’re the most connected, and the loneliest generation ever,” says Dr. Jack Muskat, Medcan’s clinical director of psychology, describing the paradox of apps like Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook. Inspired by a recent study showing that a one-week break from social media led to significant improvements in well-being, Dr. Muskat leads Eat Move Think producer Jasmine Rach (pictured above) on a social media cleanse of her own. It also features context from the bestselling Johann Hari book on the cognitive effects of social media and technology, Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention and How to Think Deeply Again.
LINKS
Read Johann Hari’s book: Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention and How to Think Deeply Again
Read some articles about social media usage:
The lost art of concentration: being distracted in a digital world in The Globe and Mail
Does Gen Z spend too much time on social media? in The Economist
Check out some research on the effects that social media can have on mental health:
Taking a One-Week Break from Social Media Improves Well-Being, Depression, and Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking
The Facebook Experiment: Quitting Facebook Leads to Higher Levels of Well-Being in Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking
Accelerating dynamics of collective attention in Nature April 2019
Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents: Evidence from a population-based study in Preventive Medicine Reports 2018
INSIGHTS
Why is social media a problem, and how is our usage of it contributing to our inability to focus?
Both Dr. Muskat and Jasmine Rach recently learned about the ways our attention span is shrinking from Johann Hari’s new book, Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention and How to Think Deeply Again.
“Is social media the cause of our problems? Is it the result of our human nature, or are we being manipulated?” asks Dr. Muskat.
In his practice, Dr. Muskat has noticed that young people are dealing with social anxiety more and more.
There has been research conducted that concludes that a temporary break from social media—or even just limiting your daily scroll time— can reduce feelings of anxiety or depression.
Rach says that during her social media cleanse, she did feel more content but still felt as if she was missing out on content that her friends were posting.
Social media doesn’t just erode our productivity: it makes us less likely to engage in hobbies we love, or to fully benefit from free time.
Dr. Muskat has seen that three of the most common mental health issues today are catastrophic thinking, perfectionism and denial. “Of course, we're not going to give up social media, but we have to understand that we're in control of it, and it shouldn't be in control of us,” he explains.
What are some of the tips for limiting social media and screen usage that Hari provides in his book?
How will Rach change her own social media habits after her cleanse?
*LEGAL
This podcast episode is intended to provide general information about health and wellness only and is not designed, or intended to constitute, or be used as a substitute for, medical advice, treatment or diagnosis. You should always talk to your Medcan health care provider for individual medical advice, diagnosis and treatment, including your specific health and wellness needs.
The podcast is based on the information available at the time of preparation and is only accurate and current as of that date. Source information and recommendations are subject to change based on scientific evidence as it evolves over time. Medcan is not responsible for future changes or updates to the information and recommendations, and assumes no obligation to update based on future developments.
Reference to, or mention of, specific treatments or therapies, does not constitute or imply a recommendation or endorsement. The links provided within the associated document are to assist the reader with the specific information highlighted. Any third-party links are not endorsed by Medcan.