I remember a time when there was limited internet and cell phone access. What we had was the television. There were basic primetime channels and then there was PBS. This was a channel where you often had educational programming. There were documentaries on events such as the Civil Rights Movement and there was Sesame Street. During this time, there was less negative influence from the television compared to life in the streets. Now with the internet and social media at our fingertips, the content we see is a lot less educational and can have some negative affects on our mental wellness. We see videos of people getting killed subway surfing, domestic violence incidents, and other crimes.
Studies have shown the connection between social media or the internet with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. For example, a close friend of a young woman had a girlfriend’s getaway trip and she see the pictures online. She wonders why she didn’t get invited and felt saddened by it. Imagine going through years of seeing images such as this and the build up of negative feelings. Also, the internet world is filled with both accurate and false information. Any person can post a video spreading false information. This false information can lead one down a rabbit hole of negative energy.
Many of you may have known this, but if you didn’t know, now you do. Our mental wealth of positive knowledge leads to improved mental wellness. We must be wise in how we choose to use the internet. It’s important to limited engagement in negative things and try to find more ways to nurture our minds. I present you with some positives. The videos below focus on ways to understand and cope with life and its complexities, whether it’s learning to be more confident or learning to meditate . Our mental wellness is important to our survival as a species and we must find ways to keep ourselves sane.