Social media has become an essential part in the lives of nearly every teenager. It allows people to share photos and videos, chat with one another and stay connected. However, it should come as no surprise that social media can be very damaging for one’s mental health. According to the Mayo Clinic social media serves as a distraction, disruptor and exposes teens to online bullying. The posts we consume on a daily basis have the potential to impact the rest of our day. It is important as a society that we manage the content we consume and the content we post.

One way to protect your mental health online is to be mindful of the content you consume. Social media can be a great way to connect with friends and family, but it can also be a breeding ground for negativity and comparison. It’s important to be aware of how much time you spend on social media and to unfollow or mute accounts that make you feel bad about yourself.

Karina Elvestrom, ‘24, explains how she best manages her social media. “I try to only allow the majority of my feeds on Instagram and Snapchat to consist of positive content or else the negative posts will affect how I feel for the rest of the day,” she said.A good way to control the content you consume is by filtering your following. This can be done so by unfollowing specific creators who do not bring you any joy or cause you to feel badly about yourself.

Another way to protect your mental health online is to be mindful of the content you create. It’s easy to get caught up in the likes and comments, but it’s important to remember that social media doesn’t define your worth. What you post also has the potential to impact others so it’s important to always be considerate when posting and to have others in mind. Elvestrom also adds, “I always take a minute to think before I post and think about how it will affect the people that see it.”

In conclusion, social media is an important part of our lives and is an amazing thing when used correctly. In order to protect yourself and others please be mindful of the content you consume and the content you post. You never know how it could affect yours or someone else’s day.