Limit Social Media Time

For some, social media is a significant part of their occupation. For other people, it can be an obsession that can cause problems in their daily life and career.

Social media in your personal life can cause a significant amount of stress. There are so many things happening in the realm of social media and it impacts your brain function! You need to find a healthy balance.

Socialization and interaction with other human beings can have significant benefits for the brain. Social media often creates a false sense of interaction. These sites give you a sense that you’re interacting with other people, but there is often little quality or stimulation to the interaction.

Facebook is a parallel universe that cannot, and should not, replace normal healthy social interaction. It pulls people away from normal healthy interactions and relationships; which are critical to the development and maintenance of the aging brain.

In the last decade or two, we’re starting to see evolutionary shifts in the brain that haven’t occurred in the last several hundred thousand years; many related how our brains pay attention to things and how we respond to stress.

While there is a valuable function for these outlets when it comes to businesses, it’s also a tool for keeping in touch of friends and family that might live far away. When it starts to become a lifestyle that takes the place of healthy interaction, it can be a serious problem on multiple levels.

Take Control of Your Social Media Time

There was a study that was done where people went 30 days without hitting the Like button on Facebook. The study measured several quality-of-life parameters. Each person reported their quality of life improved through the course of the study, simply by not hitting the like button. Imagine what would happen if you took a break from them for extended periods of time on a regular basis! When you set up these habits, your brain simply starts to work better.

It’s important to look at all of these outlets and how much time you spend on them. It’s a good habit to simply allow yourself to check your social media at specific times, limited to about 30 minutes per day.

Contributor: Dr. Michael Trayford is a Board-Certified Chiropractic Neurologist and Founder of APEX Brain Centers in Asheville, NC. For additional information, and to learn more, please visit our Author's page.

---

Disclaimer: Dementia Society of America (DSA) provides educational content only and does not offer medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your medical care. DSA content is created by both human and computer-generated means and is reviewed for accuracy; however, errors may occur. Views expressed by third-party contributors do not necessarily reflect those of DSA. Unless expressly stated, DSA does not endorse or guarantee any third-party products, services, organizations, or external content. All DSA content is copyrighted and/or trademarked and may not be used without written permission.