GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Social media can be good, bad, risky, helpful, all of those things. Pine Rest Psychologist, Greg Mallis, joined us to talk about what’s helpful, what’s harmful, and how to protect ourselves.
Dr. Mallis admits there can be good that comes from social media. For example, he said body and mind-positive content is encouraging. Social support can motivate improvement. It can be helpful for shy people to build social connections, increase awareness of issues relevant to you, and help people stay connected to friends and family.
However, Dr. Mallis said there are plenty of negatives that accompany social media usage, and the harmful aspects can often outweigh the good. For example, what people see on social media can be harmful to body image and self-esteem. It’s become a platform for bullying and often normalizes risk-taking behaviors.
Dr. Mallis cautioned that social media doesn't show the reality of people's lives and creates a sort of pressure to keep up or compete with others.
He offered some tips for how to protect yourself:
- Take social media breaks when necessary
- Create boundaries for social media
- Avoid starting and ending day with social media
- Recognize when you are comparing yourself to others, and shift
- Turn off notifications
- Have an intention for what you are doing when you access
If you or a loved one are struggling call 866-852-4001 or visit www.pinerest.org.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
If you would like more information about advertising with 13 ON YOUR SIDE, please contact Jeff Olsen at jolsen@wzzm13.com.