My name is Maya Ubhayakar (she/her), and I’m a 4th year graduate entry medical student at the University of Birmingham. As one of the publicity representatives for UoBWIM, I thought it was fitting to start a discussion about social media!
Over the last decade, social media has become ingrained into our lives and has kept us connected with our friends and family, whether that be through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok etc. We are creatures of habit, and it is almost a compulsion to glance down at our phones and scroll through our social media apps.
The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly changed our relationships with our smartphones. With our normal social interactions taken away, we rely on social media more than ever to keep us connected with others.
Having always loved social media (and guilty of spending too much time on my phone), applying for a position as a publicity representative for UoBWIM seemed like the natural choice. However, throughout the course of the pandemic, I found myself questioning whether social media is really helping people to cope, or whether it is a hindrance.
In this blog piece, I hope to share with you some of my thoughts and opinions on the use of social media throughout the pandemic.
Expectations
The first thing I want to discuss is the expectations that social media sets us.
When the UK went into lockdown (the first one), life suddenly changed, but I noticed that there was an expectation of us to keep going as normal. I certainly felt immense pressure from social media to stay productive, to stay fit, and to stay positive – despite the fact that my normal coping mechanisms had been taken away. Don’t go to work – but be productive! Don’t go to the gym – but stay fit! Don’t see your family and friends – but stay positive!
Like most people, I found it incredibly difficult to do all of these things – particularly ‘staying positive’ when COVID-19 was claiming the lives of so many people.
Scrolling through Instagram was a normal part of my day, and I saw countless influencers posting holiday pictures, exercise routines and telling their audiences to ‘stay positive.’ Although they were posted with the best intentions, they often lowered my mood, and I came away from my phone feeling worse and questioning whether I was doing enough to fill my day at home.
Although social media platforms are a great place to share our lives with others, people tend to only share the good parts of their day. This can be damaging to our mental health, particularly when we are stuck indoors with little to look forward to. The expectations that are set are often unrealistic, and I think that it is important to remind ourselves that it is okay to feel unmotivated – no-one is perfect!
News Updates
I also want to talk about news updates and current affairs.
Throughout the pandemic, there has also been a pressure for us to stay informed. A BBC news ‘Coronavirus: Daily update!’ seemed to pop up on my smartphone every day.
Most news stories were steeped with negativity, updating us on the number of COVID cases, death rates, and constant reminders to keep to social distancing. These updates somehow crept into social media, with family and friends sharing articles & then discussing them online. This made it quite difficult to escape the constant stream of news.
Although it is important to stay informed, it is okay to limit the amount of news we consume.
Social media tips
To end on a high, I would like to share with you some social media tips that have helped me (and those around me) during the pandemic.
1. Limit your screen time
This one might seem obvious, but it is important to have some time away from your phone / tablet / laptop. A good place to start would be to choose a time every evening to switch your phone off and put it out of reach. This will help you sleep better and will prevent you from falling into the social media rabbit hole before bed!
2. Unfollow accounts that aren’t making you happy
If an influencer (or someone you know) is posting content that brings your mood down, unfollow them! They won’t even know you’ve done it.
3. Be mindful of how much news you consume
If you want to stay informed, make sure that you only read news from credible sources. If the news articles become overwhelming, take a little break. Alternatively, news apps allow you to create a ‘personal news feed’ – where you can filter the news stories that pop up on your phone.
I hope that you have found the discussion enlightening, and I would love to hear your views on the subject. As a society, UoBWIM is keen to generate more conversations about social media, and the committee is always here to listen.