Social Media Detox And When To Take That Step

Ilustrasi (Raga Granada / YOU)

The article "Patrol Maya Virtual Police" has reviewed how the behavior of social media groups in Indonesian society and legal derivatives who were born there. Is it true that coercion to use the police is the correct way? Isn't there any effort that can be taken as self-awareness? Still part of VOI's signature Series "The Two-Edged Sword of Social Media", about the detox of social media.

The rapid development of social media technology (medsos) is like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, we can get various benefits of social media, such as making communication easier or becoming a field to earn a fortune. On the other hand, social media also affects mental health and can have a negative impact on social interactions in society, especially for those who are already addicted. One of the ways to reduce the negative effects is by using social media detox. What is a social media detox? And when do we need to do that?

We can choose from various social media platforms, from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, to those that have recently emerged such as TikTok and Clubhouse. This convenience allows us to find out the news of our friends or relatives as easily as snapping our fingers.

On Instagram, for example. When friends, relatives or relatives are traveling or are busy with work, we can easily find out through his Instagram Story. Maybe some people will feel normal to see uploads on social media. But what if seeing a friend's upload makes you stressed or anxious because it makes you compare your life to what you see?

Illustration (Unsplash / Austin Distel)

Citing the Cleveland Clinic, some of the signs a person should take a break from social media use are that the person can't stop comparing himself. It is often said that social media is the main highlight of a person's life. But it shouldn't make other people feel inadequate or dissatisfied with their own life.

Another sign that makes us have to take a break from social media is when he feels annoyed with everything he sees. From politics to various things excessively. We can also be angry or upset with what we see in the timeline. In fact, we can also feel stressed by what we see because we are too deep in social media.

Time for a social media detox

According to WeAreSocial, in 2021 as many as 170 million people in Indonesia are active on social media. In addition, the use of social media is not only for communication but for studying, doing business, and more. However, anything that is excessive is not good, including using social media.

The Head of the CISSReC Cyber Security and Communication Research Institute, Pratama Persadha, said that people are currently facing a new model of life with WFH and PJJ, which means that almost 24 hours of activities are carried out via the internet. The community is faced with a fast digitization process, but this has not been accompanied by a good understanding of the internet on social media.

"A lot of time spent on social media can reduce the focus on the relationships around us including personal relationships, careers and even life goals. One of the signs is constantly checking notifications on the cellphone screen, meaning that it is time we need to detox ourselves from social media," said Pratama. , when contacted by VOI.

Infographics (VOI / Raga Granada)

Pratama provides tips on how to detox social media, namely by starting the morning by not playing electronic goods that are connected to the internet. In addition, it can also temporarily delete social media applications on the device.

Furthermore, you can rest the device for some time at night. Social media detox can also be done by replacing your social media hobbies with something more useful, such as reading or exercising. Apart from internet users, it is also recommended to choose media that are positive about education, science, and stay away from provocative topics.

Not much is realized

From the very beginning, social wisdom was very much needed. If not so, the intense use of social media to addiction will lead to decreased personal health. The healing will be more difficult when it is so. Social media detox isn't enough either.

When VOI contacted, a psychologist, Tika Bisono, explained that dependency on social media certainly exceeds the normative size. He gave an example, people can stop in the middle of the road just to check their social media. Arriving at the corner, the crowd stopped, left behind by his friends for paying attention to social media. Until finally his quality of life deteriorated.

"Especially if there are supporting facilities from parents, such as eating in the room, telephone in the room, the room has never been cleaned, the electricity is smooth, the computer never turns off, until the person becomes sick. Not to mention addiction to games, pornography," he said. Tika Bisono.

People who are too addicted to social media will see life outside of social media as a distortion, explained Tika. They will live in hallucinations and feel their life is on social media. When he had to meet humans in real life, it was very disturbing.

"Even though social media should only be used as entertainment, the real reality is non-social media. For example, people can see people whose cellphones are left behind. It looks like they want to lose their cellphones or usually sleep next to their cellphones. moved, "said Tika.

If it is already severe, social media dependence can no longer be eliminated by simply uninstalling the application on the device. Tika explained, there are at least two ways. The small way is to listen to friends' advice or the bigger way is through professional handling.

"If through a professional, it can be counseling or therapy for his cognitive, way of thinking. But later on, psychotherapy can be the next step. Because he has moved to life and the world. That's a lot to be corrected as well. until hallucinating, "said Tika.

Many people are starting to forget the essence of social media. In fact, social media is actually to make life easier, to keep in touch with friends or relatives. Excessive use is damaging to the user himself, consciously or unconsciously.

Before it is too late or the situation is worse, it is better to use social media from the start, remember that everything on social media is not reality and is just a means of communication or entertainment. Because apart from other people who remind you, it is yourself who is more important to control everything in life.

"If we understand the philosophy of digital, social media, online engagement. Technology businessmen like Bill Gates and Zuckerberg have a philosophy that online engagement does not have the goal of destroying the quality of human life," concluded Tika.

Follow the Writing of this edition of Series: "Social Media Two-Edged Sword"