I know this topic hits close to home for many of us. Truth: I know that I’ve struggled at various points in understanding what is real and true what isn’t when it comes to seeing others portray their seemingly idealistic lives on their social media accounts. We know that nothing in life is perfect and yet we seem to “see” an idea of “perfection” all around us. We’ve even struggled to define what is an ideal life for ourselves, one that is hopeful, ambitious, and attainable because we’ve gotten stuck in comparison.

Although social media has undoubtedly connected us with loved ones, regardless of geographical boundaries, we’ve all likely at some point experienced some of the dangers of these digital platforms. We now live in a world where we’re prone to judging our lives (and our intimate relationships) in comparison to others, often not taking into account our personal triggers, challenges, accomplishments, successes, and journeys because quite simply, we’re distracted. Some of us may even struggle to find a moment to unwind, take a deep breath, APPRECIATE ourselves, and disconnect from the digital world.

Rarely do people post their daily struggles on their social media accounts. As a result, we have skewed perceptions of who and what is happiness. Evidence has been accumulating to show that (unsurprisingly) social networking is associated with higher levels of loneliness, dissatisfaction, and displeasure. More so, these results suggest that social media use may be associated with increased levels of social discontent and unhappiness if individuals are subject to an unfavorable comparison between their own happiness and popularity to those of their friends.

So what can we do about it? Some people have tried “a social media detox” which is essentially a set time frame to completely disconnect from all digital platforms. Although social and digital media can be integral to some people’s work life, some “time off” can be necessary to unwind and be mindfully present in their life.

Try setting limits to your screen time. Many apps and phones now have the option to “block” opening social media platforms to encourage you to disconnect. Have you tried some of these ideas before?