Social Media Handles and Mental Health

/ Priyankaspen

Hey, you on Facebook? On Instagram or Twitter?

How many followers you have? Look what I posted. See how many likes I got?

All this and much more. If we Pause and reflect we are heading towards a dead end.

We all are well aware of the pros and cons of Social Media. How it’s effective usage can help us grow and keep ourselves updated and how the over usage in an ineffective manner can lead to a bad experience and Social Media Anxiety.

If you ask me, Social Media for me is my Work Place, I respect other’s privacy, give proper credits and admiration to other’s content and I try to adopt the best available practices which can help me learn and grow.

I have always tested my addiction level by adopting Social Media Detox on frequent Intervals. Today I would like to share my views and my experience with all the Social Media Applications I use.

WhatsApp

I started using WhatsApp in 2011, a great way to communicate and share images, documents, videos with our friends and family members in the most convenient manner. Everything was good but when the Status Update feature came into the picture thinks took a different shape, and to top that there is an option where you can actually make out who is watching your updates and yet not commenting on your activities.

I usually upload my daughter’s photos, updates related to my work or any beautiful quote I come across. I do it just for myself, not for the people around and I don’t go sneak into everyone’s status updates unless I have all the time in the world.

I experienced a few horrible incidents where-in just because I did not see few status updates I was labeled as ignorant or when I post my little achievement then I get so negative vibes from few people saying that I keep on promoting myself. Such incidents just show how a person behaves on such petty things in life.

I uninstall WhatsApp on regular intervals just for my peace of mind, I hardly circulate my number, and I only stay in groups which could help me laugh, grow and enjoy.

Few people live on Social Media and few people use it to make their living, there is a huge difference.

Facebook

Facebook is an old friend, but here also I had my share of struggles initially when I started writing and posting my blog links, no one visited. Probably no one understood or welcomed the whole idea of me switching to a blogging world.

Later on, I created my Blog page entirely dedicated to Virtual Siyahi (my blog), very happily I announced it everywhere and send invites to all my friends and followers. Hardly anyone showed up or responded and as a beginner, I felt dejected, but patience paid off and I started getting recognition for my work.

Instagram

It was and it is still a foreign land for me, I could never understand which hashtag works for me. But I post my quotes, poetries on my page regularly. eventually, I faced the very famous, Follow to Follow, Follow then Unfollow trend and trust me I hated it when I figured out the whole logic and cheap games people play just to gain few followers.

The whole influencer trend is ruining the beauty of the content and I started unfollowing everyone who followed me, waited for me to follow then unfollowed me, I mean seriously? am I such a waste of time? Just for the information of the readers, there are apps available which help us to identify such content killers. Beware!

Also read: What is this follow to unfollow?

Twitter

I joined twitter very late but I find it very interactive and easy to use, you can post anything, retweet the content you like. Again I think the hashtag mania works here and I take it easy while I experiment with the hashtags to expand my reach as a mental health awareness blogger.

Youtube

The most difficult friend of mine is my Youtube Channel, I would admit that I don’t put much effort on my channel. I still lack views and audience on my channel and initially few months it used to dishearten me, but eventually, I learned that after doing around 30 videos, now I am a confident speaker, my camera fear is gone, I can complete my Vlog in one shot.

I don’t stress on editing and prefer to keep it simple maybe that’s the reason my growth rate is slow but trust me what all comments and feedback I get I am happy with that because they are genuine and I am forming my tribe, they are people who appreciate my efforts and it means a lot to me.

Blog – My Forever Happy Place

When I get bugged, get disappointed from everywhere else I find solace in my Blog and that’s the reason I call it my Happy Place. I have stopped counting my followers and I have started focusing on building friends, long term connection with my readers and they come to my blog, they give me their valuable feedback and I feel accomplished.

I have found some amazing friends in my blog followers list and I am thankful to them for being there for me always.

There could be end number of possibilities people don’t react to what you do, so don’t pay attention just continue to be yourself, if you believe in your work then you will gain your audience, you will build your tribe.

My message to everyone reading this post: Do not focus on building followers, focus on building your tribe as they will always feed you with the positive vibe.

I would like to share a very beautiful reminder inspired by Rinki Tiwari’s Instagram feed:

You have no idea how many people lurk on your work. No idea how many times people go back to revisit your work. How big they smile when they simply think about your work. How fast their heartbeats, how excited they get when they see you posted something.

People are shy about their feedback. Sometimes it’s because they are simply shy. Other times it’s because they assume you already know how great and talented you are or maybe they just don’t understand what you are doing, sometimes it could be due to the language barrier and also due to priorities.

My point is even if you barely have any likes, comments, followers or reblogs, don’t get discouraged, don’t lose your heart. You have a lot of silent fans, but they are still your fans.

Keep on creating amazing content. Because there is always someone who is waiting for your post and who loves your content genuinely 🙂

Keep it simple. Be original and never fall into the comparison zone, as you never know how the journey of a person would have been. Happy Blogging 🙂

Much Love and Gratitude

Priyanka

#VirtualSiyahi

56 thoughts on “Social Media Handles and Mental Health”

  1. Very nicely analyzed with your own experience, sometime in the social media people take it otherwise,specially the so called closed ones(the people around).
    I have founf the blogging platform much more better than than any other one.

    Liked by 1 person

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  2. This spirit which you carry has become infectious and surely makes a difference to many. Each effort to create is a journey in itself and till the day we enjoy it everything will eventually fall in place. This is a sweet reminder for all budding and struggling creators to keep the chin up and spirits high.

    Liked by 2 people

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  3. Thinking about it, my case is much worse. I feel that I can’t live without my phone without even a week. I kind of get anxious😔.
    As far as, favourite goes though, wordpress is maybe the only social media platform that I enjoy the most. Well written. 💙

    Liked by 1 person

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  5. You have no idea how many people lurk on your work. No idea how many times people go back to revisit your work. How big they smile when they simply think about your work. How fast their heartbeats, how excited they get when they see you posted something” ” — Food for though!

    Liked by 1 person

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  6. You came again with a much sensitive topic yet more ignored. You are right, we trapped in the game of more likes, more subscribers or followers but how many of them really connected with the content or genuine writing.

    Liked by 1 person

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  8. Well delivered. Thanks for sharing your experience. It is a lesson to beginner bloggers. Each of the bloggers can relate with what you mentioned. When i proudly shout at FB and WA not even one appreciated me for starting a blog. I’m sure these people are not aware i have a blog. 😂. Thank you so much Keep inspiring us.

    Liked by 1 person

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  11. Well expressed Priyanka! A balance is indeed required in these social medias. Instead of merely running after numbers, create a tribe of your own and feel proud by your writings that it touched at least some hearts and motivated some souls.

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  14. Couldn’t have put it better, follower count doesn’t matter, what matters is having friends to interact with through comments and just knowing that we might be helping someone with out words. That’s enough for me 😊😊. Btw I stopped being on Facebook. Nobody followed my blog and I didn’t have any real good friends on that platform so I just stopped trying. Better to stick to a few platforms you enjoy than be on all of them and feel disappointed 😊😊😊. Great post!

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  15. Every time social media is still so alien to me. Besides , I myself feel comfortable in a cocoon of reliable friends. Being conscious about mental health, I too greatly feel the more adverse side of it than good ones. Peer pressure..!
    Regarding writing and promoting , I write for me. Yes, it does feel gud when someone reads it, but even they doesnot, its ok. Because, I still grow better with my every creativity, that matters.

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  17. Thank you. As a new blogger, this post is very comforting. I’m trying to find my way around these platforms and have especially found the Instagram ‘follow, unfollow ‘ strategy quite disheartening. I’ve started unfollowing those who play such games as well. I am also finding my blog is my happy place. There seems to be some very supportive fellow bloggers on here!

    Liked by 1 person

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  24. I completely agree. Building your tribe is more important than worrying about number of followers. Followers, likes, views is nothing but a feel good factor. But tribe is like building a family who stay together.

    Liked by 1 person

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