Treating Social Media Addiction: 5 Habits to Help Patients

Nearly 46,000 lives were lost to suicide in 2020.

For better or worse, we have all become accustomed to living online. In just seconds, one digital device can take hold of our attention for hours on end. How is this affecting the mental health of those most vulnerable?

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 3 million children aged 12–17 had serious thoughts of suicide in 2020.

Social media fatigue, addiction, and burnout can exacerbate and develop into more serious mental health dilemmas such as anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts, especially in younger generations. Bullying at schools carries on at home through social media feeds. Pressures to compare and conform become inescapable as popularity contests are held in the form of likes, comments, shares, and views. 

As a mental health professional, you can encourage your patients to put their phones down and their mental health first. 

5 Social Media Habits to Help Patients Prioritize Their Mental Health

1. Complete an Established Morning Routine Before Scrolling

From making your bed to getting in a workout, accomplishing small daily tasks before scrolling allows your mind to wake up feeling productive. This can be a great way for anyone to set the tone for the rest of their day!

2. Join Digital Support Groups

Social media fatigue is felt by people around the world. Encourage patients to embrace the good side of social by joining support groups online that can offer empathy and advice.

3. Know Your Limit

Your patient may be experiencing low productivity at the expense of their screen time. Advise them to take back their time by setting daily screen time limits for the apps they find most addicting. 

4. Feed Your Feed With Positivity

Did you know you can customize the content you see? If you feel it may benefit your patient, recommend they mute the words and phrases that trigger unwanted reactions.

5. Don't Scroll Before You Sleep

Maybe you have heard this one before… that’s because it works! Minimizing exposure to the blue light that screens produce, allows our minds to relax and recharge. Lack of sleep can create its own set of mental health challenges. Offer your patient ways to cut back on phone use before bed!

Global social media users are expected to reach four billion by 2025. 

As social media use and suicide rates continue to climb, now more than ever, it is important we all recognize the mental health challenges millions of individuals face due to the online world we have created. 

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