Swipe smart

Last month, I mentioned social media in an article about stress and stress management, and I’d like to delve deeper into this topic this month. You might be curious why a doctor is discussing social media in a health column. I now consider social media a potential ‘risky health behaviour’ that deserves thoughtful consideration during health assessments. Over the past few years, I’ve seen social media influence nearly every patient consultation – from causing health anxiety triggered by online content to inspiring positive change through science-based pages that motivate patients to finally take care of long-ignored health issues. It’s clear to me that social media has both benefits and risks for our wellbeing. So, let’s take some time to explore this fascinating phenomenon – which, frankly, isn’t going anywhere.

The history of social media

Social media has been around for roughly 25 years. Early platforms like MySpace and Friendster gave way to the dominant giants of Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Twitter (now X). As these platforms evolved, so did the way we accessed them. When social media first appeared, it wasn’t something you carried in your pocket. It was desktop-based, possibly accessed from an internet café (anyone remember those?). Over the past quarter of a century, it has transformed into something we now carry with us everywhere on our phones. A staggering 65.7 per cent of the global population now uses social media and the average time spent per day on it is two hours and 20 minutes.

The effects of engaging with social media

Spending more than two hours a day on social media is likely to affect health, and there is a strong case that the effects can be both positive and negative. 

Starting with the positives, I often see patients who have encountered a science-based, accurate post about a health condition that motivates them to seek help. This is especially evident in women’s health. From issues with periods, endometriosis, to peri/menopause, women are increasingly better informed about what’s normal and what requires medical attention. Many of us now recognise that we shouldn’t simply accept suffering symptoms because “that’s just what being a woman is about”. 

Social media has also linked people who might otherwise feel very isolated, so there is no doubt that there are some benefits.

While there are many benefits to social media, such as staying in touch with friends, it’s also important to be aware of some challenges. These include the spread of misinformation about medical topics and marketing that targets those feeling vulnerable, sometimes leading people to purchase products instead of seeking proper help.

It is easy to start worrying about our own health after seeing certain things online, which can cause us to question whether we might have rare conditions. These platforms are designed to keep you engaged for longer. Their algorithms monitor what you view and then show more content like it, encouraging you to keep scrolling. The more time you spend on these posts, the more money the companies behind these platforms make through adverts. If your feed is filled with information about rare medical conditions, it can make it harder to think clearly about your own health, and things that are actually rare might seem more common because you see them so often on your feed. 

Try comparing your feed with a friend’s – theirs might be filled with adorable puppy videos, while yours could be full of travel-related products. It’s all personalised based on what we’ve clicked or paused on before. This can be particularly worrying for teenagers. When someone clicks on or pauses over articles about self-harm or body image issues, their feeds can easily fill up with similar content. For young, developing minds, spending hours exposed to this kind of material can have a significant impact.

Deliberately seek out uplifting or spiritual content. Engaging with such pages can gradually influence what appears in your feed

Focus is a shared challenge across all generations. Many people find it hard to concentrate without getting distracted. Social media promotes a swipe-and-scroll habit, giving us only brief moments of focus before we move on to the next thing. It’s hard to ignore how this ongoing cycle of distraction can impact our ability to sit down and focus on important tasks.

Ways to manage your social media use

Managing social media can be challenging, because we are all so connected these days. Completely quitting isn’t always feasible, especially if you have a business – you probably have a lot of your audience online. A great first step is to time limit your usage, and many apps and phone settings can help make that easier. You might consider removing apps from your phone and accessing them only from a desktop, which can help reduce temptation. Some people even choose to give up smartphones entirely, opting for simple phones that only make calls or send messages to avoid the urge to click on applications.

Another helpful approach is to deliberately seek out uplifting or spiritual content. Engaging with such pages can gradually influence what appears in your feed. Since advertisers aim to keep you engaged on their platforms, the more you interact with this content, the more you will see. Consider the biblical advice in Philippians 4:8: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things” (or click on such things). It might be a good time to ‘hack’ your social media and turn it into a tool that helps grow your spiritual life.