The Current World and You: Social Media and TV
Recently things have been chaotic around the world. Having access to the newsand social media brings awareness to the issues but also exposes you to what isgoing on. Repeated exposure can lead to intense emotions, an increase inanxiety, and trigger past trauma (Zubair et al., 2023).
Ask Yourself:
If I didn’t see it on the news or my feed, would it have affected me?
Now that I am feeling uncomfortable, scared, upset, or angry, what am Igoing to do?
Do I have a space to share my emotions and thoughts or am I holding them in?
How Therapy Can Help
You are human and it is normal to feel an array of emotions during this time. However it is also important to check in with yourself on how you are processing your emotions. Are you bringing it into the therapy space? Are you unsure how? Therapy is a great space to bring your emotions and thoughts and just lay it allout. No need to worry about what your therapist thinks because the space is made to be safe and validating. We want you to bring your concerns, we want youto bring those raw emotions, and we want you to be yourself no matter what youbelieve in (Minamitani, 2024).
Sometimes you may just need to stay off of social media or the news. A breakcould be decreasing the usage on your phone, laptop, TV or it could be mutingthose notifications on your phone (Minamitani, 2024).
Another way is to comment on what you felt or want to say, making it a way to connect with others. Maybe you take a walk, or watch something funny to endthe day on a lighter note.
Remember
You are not alone in feeling exhaustion, frustration, or fear. Talking about it intherapy can provide you with a space to freely express yourself and work withyour therapist to discuss methods on how to process your thoughts and feelingsoutside of therapy.
References
Minamitani, K. (2024, May 20). Social media addiction and mental health: Thegrowing concern for youth well-being. Stanford Law School, Law and BioscienceBlog. <Social media addiction and mental health: The growing concern for youthwell-being>
Zubair, U., Khan, M. K., & Albashari, M. (2023). Link between excessive socialmedia use and psychiatric disorders. Annals of medicine and surgery (2012), 85(4),875–878. https://doi.org/10.1097/MS9.0000000000000112