Social media can be a convenient way to extend your network, staying in touch with your grandma or sharing photos of your new puppy. 1 , social media can be terrible for your health. It's our 2 of it that's out of control.
British evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar developed the idea that 150 people is the maximum number of meaningful connections anyone can have. You may have 800 friends on Wechat, but you're not 3 them in person. Your QQ connections may be vast, but how many of them do you have 4 interactions with?
If you're using social media to feel more connected, a recent study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion suggests that it's not 5 , and it also brought about unfavorable connections and even depression. Positive interactions on social media don't help people feel 6 . Negative interactions, on the other hand, bring more feelings of sadness. The same goes for 7 , which social media encourages. Another study, published by the American Psychological Association, shows that comparing yourself to others through social media also produces 8 effects, leading to symptoms of depression.
Reaching for your cell phone as a mental break is also a (n) 9 idea. Research by Rutgers University compared participants in the process of completing a task who took a break with their cell phones, with paper and pencils, and who took no break at all. Those who used their cell phones during their break solved 22% fewer problems and took 19% longer to complete their tasks than those under the other two 10 .
So how should you 11 your social media usage?
First, know your time and 12 of use. Use the tracking function on your device to find out how much you're using it and what you're using it for. After this, get away from your device unless you have to use it. Tough as it might be, turn off and tune into the world around you.
Then, be in charge of your 13 , rather than let it be in charge of you. Your phone's rings or vibrations (震动) don't mean you must respond to them. Remind yourself that you're in charge, not your device or the people on the other end of it who've just contacted you.
Finally, consider using your device as a (n) 14 builder. Use your apps to find your friends and make your dinner reservation so you can catch up face-to-face in your favorite restaurant, where you'll keep your phone out of sight.
When you're in control of your 15 , social media becomes a tool to enrich your life but not a distraction that makes you feel miserable.
