Posted October 01, 2018 04:21:38 When it comes to social media, no matter how much you might try to avoid it, it can still affect your day-to-day life.
A recent study by researchers at the University of Southern California found that those who spend more time on social media use their phones to tweet and Facebook updates more often than people who don’t use the site at all.
“We found that social media users reported higher levels of anger, depression, anxiety, and stress compared to non-users,” said Dr. Sarah A. Kessels, the study’s lead author.
The study, published in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, found that, on average, people who tweet more than one day a week had a 4.5 times greater chance of experiencing social anxiety and 3.7 times greater likelihood of experiencing depression compared to those who didn’t.
People who used social media a lot had a 1.6 times greater risk of having depression, while those who used it sparingly had a 2.9 times greater rate of depression, the researchers found.
Social media has a direct effect on the way you feel, according to Kessel, who is also a research associate at the Institute for Health Communication at the U of S. She believes that a lack of communication, whether online or offline, can have negative effects on the psyche.
When it comes down to it, social media is a way of sharing experiences and opinions that are unique to you, she said.
“It is a place where you share information, it is a social space where you are able to express yourself,” she said, “but it can also be a place of conflict and conflict over what is being said.”
So how can you avoid becoming a Twitter troll?
Don’t be a jerk, said Kessel.
Be respectful of others.
If you see someone on Twitter, don’t engage with them.
You might think you’re being helpful, but if you get upset or defensive, you might be reinforcing your own behavior, she explained.
Follow the advice of those who have used social networks for a long time, including celebrities and celebrities-in-residence.
If they know you’re a Twitter user, they might be more likely to know how to help you.