Social media stress?

Give your mind and body a rest and unplug

Dr. Kathleen Ireland Gregg

As a member of the baby boomer generation, I grew up without computers, cell phones, laptops, and tablets that comprise today’s technology.

We have come to embrace today’s social media to stay connected at a much later stage in life than our children and their children.

Today’s millennials and their children grew up with computers in their back packs and cell phones in their pockets. Cell phones are common in today’s high schools, middle schools, and even elementary schools.

It is convenient to call your children and for them to call you any time/anywhere, and to be continuously connected to friends.

There is instant access to news live as it happens. Everyone has a camera and video recorder in their pocket. Nothing is private.

All this convenience and connectedness comes at a price.

Constant posting and checking feeds to see what friends are doing has created a high level of stress and anxiety in younger generations.

Even the twenty-four-hour news cycle and being chained to our work email accounts day and night can cause us to stress out.

I don’t believe we can be barraged with headlines (almost universally negative) and emerge unscathed.

News feeds and posts often contain a certain high level of sensationalism or nobody will read the articles and see sponsors’ ads.

Stress is one of the leading causes of physical and mental illness. I strongly believe that the greatest cause of stress and nervousness today is the constant connectivity to personal technology.

A 2012 Swedish study found that young people who heavily used technology had a pronounced risk for mental health problems including depression, stress and sleep disorders. While another study found that after a short period of cell phone use, people were less likely to partake in pro-social behavior actions intended to help another person.

I am just as guilty of having my phone glued to my hand at times. Recently, I have been making a strong effort to unplug at night and on weekends, and I have to admit that it is relaxing.

I invite you to join me in giving your mind and body a rest: unplug for a period each day. It will do wonders for your health, and I have a feeling you won’t regret it.

Dr. Kathleen Ireland Gregg is a Naturopath/Physcotherapist at Health Matters: A Center for Wellness. Reach her at (517) 641-8000 or by email at drgregg@healthmattersmi.com