When it comes to social media, you either love it or hate it.
But on a daily basis we all use some sort of social media, whether that be email, looking for a job on LinkedIn, catching up with family with Facebook, or shopping with Instagram— social media is a big part of our life.
But are we becoming so dependent upon social media that it’s become more of a hindrance than a help?
Since social media took center stage in 2005, we rely on it to look up :
Sports stats
Videos
News
Politics
Social norm
What to shop for
Help answering an array of questions
Who’s popular and who’s not
Who’s trending and who’s not
What’s popular and what’s not
But along with these powerful tools, studies are finding more and more people are unhappy with their lives.
Why?
Because they are comparing themselves to images they see online, which we are finding aren’t either real or the whole truth. Many times, they are simply shown huge exaggeration. Either way, our children and teens are more susceptible than any other demographic. They see what their friends are doing online and want the same. Many alarming physiological issues have arisen due to social media among our youth including:
FoMO – Fear of Missing Out and being excluded
Cyberbullying is up by 72%
Anxiety and depression is up by 32%
Teen suicides have increased by 56%
How do you help your kids cut ties to the social media monster? You take control in the following ways:
Set up phone time each day and stick to it.
Only allow them to have a dumbed down phone where they can only call and text.
Educate yourself on the different social media channels.
Check your child’s security settings on a regular basis.
Ensure your child’s profile is always kept private.
Keep tabs of what they are posting to ensure they are not providing any personal info.
The only way we can protect our kids from the downfall of social media is by being conscious of the outcomes.
Being there to listen and help them cope. If you don’t feel you can, then find a professional or trusted family member they can talk to and even learn ways to balance their youthful energy. Because the majority of this issue is isolation.
They feel they are living in a bubble and tend to react based on what their bubble holds. Whether that be posts, memes, images, or messaging.
As parents we need to be aware and keep our eyes open to both physical, emotional, and energetic changes.
Let’s help our youth utilize social media in a positive way and allow them to see the truth behind the lies that seem to fly through the social media haze. Our youth need us more than ever to realize that no one person is perfect and how being different is what makes the world so unique.
Here’s to your health.
Carolyn Osborn
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P.S. Our newest program Healing and the New Normal is designed to support you being able to move forward during these stressful times.
You can also gain knowledge about how energy medicine and intuitive messages can help us recognize and adjust to changes that are affecting us, as well as our animals. Even when we may not recognize it— there are messages your dogs, cats, horses and other pets wish they could tell you directly—as they seek to give you loving help. Chiron Energy Medicine offers several options.
See or learn more about our sessions and packages for people or animals here and view our equine and performance sessions or packages here.
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