10 Tips to Stop Being Manipulated by Social Media

Admit it, you have a profile on at least one social media platform. This statistic shows that there are at least 53 million Facebook users in the United States. Every day, we open different applications and scroll through the timelines. However, we rarely think about the huge impact social media platforms have on our lives. From simple tedious pastimes to a global opinion influencer, social media manipulates our lives. It’s up to you whether or not you allow it.

Bright Side has put together 10 simple but helpful tips on how to balance your social life with your actual activities.

1. Why are you scrolling the feed?

Social media platforms have their own ways and tools that draw our attention and spend hours browsing new pages. According to recent statistics, teenagers spend up to 9 hours a day on social platforms and the average adult spends almost two hours on different social platforms. That’s more than we usually spend interacting with the family or eating.
So why are we doing this? That’s the first question we should ask ourselves. Of course, there are people who just have to do it for their work or those who prefer to save their brains using gadgets and social media. But why of all possible means of relaxation do we choose to scroll the infinite stream of news for hours? Let’s be honest and admit that we rarely see anything new every hour that we open the social media app.

2. Know the gap between life on social media and your real life.

View this post on Instagram

I read a comment this morning that said 'haha you were fat' about a photo I took last week and I actually just giggled ??. Huh? What is a comment like that even meant to achieve? Why is it that we as a society belittle someone who isn't 'up to a certain standard'. When did we stop focusing on health and start focusing on weight and appearance for what's important? Believe me- I feel the pressure. I've felt it since I was a little girl when I refused to eat and cried when I'd become so strict that having to sit down for a meal scared the shit out of me. I felt the pressure when I looked up to models and actresses as the 'norm' and thought in order to be attractive and 'successful at life' I need to be tiny. But at what cost? The expense of my mental health? So right now- I may have a bit of extra weight around the tummy, but I'm the HAPPIEST and HEALTHIEST I've ever been- physically and mentally. My time isn't taken up by ruminating on 'what I look like or what I SHOULD be'.. It's more concerned with making the right choice for me as a whole- mentally, physically and emotionally- which I down right know, has nothing to do with looking a certain way #changeiscoming #wecanbereal

A post shared by Fenella Scarlett McCall (@fenji) on May 23, 2017 at 3:20am PDT

We often talk about unrealistic images that celebrities post on social media and how different their real lives are. However, we rarely think we do the same thing. We want to share only the most exciting, beautiful and spotless moments of our lives and we jump to the boring details.
So people unintentionally create the idea of a perfect life. Have you ever been jealous of someone and their perfect life? They may have more friends than you, photos in a large mansion, a fit tanned body, or a cute big dog. We all know them. But are they real? Do these people really live like this? Like us, they want the world to see only the perfect side and they hide the rest. That’s why it’s very important to see the difference between a person’s real image and the one they’re trying to create on social media.