Life
Think for a moment to what your life was like before social media. Do you even remember? The pictures we took at sleep away camp looked very different than the selfies some teens are posting today. While some aspects of social media can be great, there seems to be a catch to keeping up with apps like Facebook and Instagram — and for some, it's coming at the expense of our emotional wellness. Here are 7 signs social media is making you feel bad, according to experts.
For some people, social media is used as a tool to promote business or to keep in touch with friends and family who don't live close by. Personally, I've loved staying in touch with friends who live half way around the world. I've seen their kids grow up, I'm able to video chat with them, our kids are able to see each other and know the other exists through video or messenger, all because of social media. I've been able to build an online community and brand online that has actually increased my income, just because of social media. It's an amazing tool, if you're using it correctly. I checked in with Dr. Taryn Myers, a psychologist who studies the effects of media — including social media — on things like body image disturbance, as well as internet safety advocate and author of the book Shame Nation: The Global Epidemic of Online Hate, Sue Scheff, and women's empowerment coach, mindfulness expert and yoga instructor Elizabth Su to see what the experts say about social media and its affect on happiness. I also polled other moms to see what their biggest struggles were... and their responses were all too relatable.