As cuffing season comes to a close, it officially brings us to the dreaded time of year of “Breakup Season” (Dec. 26 to Feb. 14). With heartbreak approaching, we all have at least one friend who will be broken up with and spend the rest of the year being the Sherlock Holmes of Snap Maps or the Nancy Drew of new followers. But I am here to tell you that it’s time to skip hiring a private investigator to keep tabs on your ex.
Courtesy: Volodymyr Hryshchenko
Before the days of social media, you were unable to track someone’s every move; your ex could move on with their life as you proceed with yours and no one had to get hurt. However, now social norms force people to feel as if they are unhappy if they aren’t posting for the world to see and comment on. This constant news feed has us continuously refreshing to compare ourselves to others. Whether it is an ex-boyfriend, ex-girlfriend, or ex-best friend, it is hard to watch the other person thrive while your love life is buffering.
So, this season, give it a rest! It is important to recognize that social media stalking not only affects your mood and your decisions but it can also manifest itself in other areas of your life. Constantly feeling as if everyone else is prettier, happier or more successful than you can lead to a downward spiral of emotions. “When we derive a sense of worth based on how we are doing relative to others, we place our happiness in a variable that is completely beyond our control,” Dr. Tim Bono, author of When Likes Aren’t Enough explained to Healthista.
It is not shocking to us that social media is bad for us, due to the number of people constantly going on social media cleanses or breaks. In March 2018, it was reported that more than a third of Generation Z from a survey of 1,000 individuals stated that they were quitting social media for good, as 41 percent stated that social media platforms make them feel anxious, sad or depressed. Encouraging cyberstalking is just increasing the amount of time spent welcoming negativity and comparisons into your life. That time would be much better spent with a friend IRL, not on Facebook.
Courtesy: Josh Rose
Don’t worry though, you are not the only person who has been creeping on their crush over social media. A survey reports 82% of Europeans and 84% of Americans admit to searching online for more information about someone they are attracted to. However, digging around for information usually leaves you feeling more hurt in the end than satisfied.
Today is the day, click that unfollow button! Cyberstalking is not only harmful to your mental health, self-esteem and sleep schedule but it could also keep you from being in the moment with the people around you, without hiding behind a screen.
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