Moments when 'SNS fatigue' feels a little lighter
Before I know it, I find myself opening my smartphone and scrolling through social media almost every day.
On the morning train, during breaks at work, and in bed before falling asleep at night.
There, I see someone's smile, scenery from a trip, and beautifully arranged dining tables. My fingers keep scrolling, and before I realize it, 30 minutes or an hour has melted away.
After closing the screen, a strange sense of fatigue remains deep in my chest.
"Why do I get so tired from this?"
—Have you ever felt that way?
At first glance, social media looks like a tool for expanding connections.
But at the same time, it is a mechanism that forces constant comparison.
A friend's promotion announcement, a colleague's glamorous wedding, the fulfilling lifestyle of someone I don't even know. As I keep watching these things, I start to believe, without realizing it, that "I am not enough."
The true nature of this fatigue is this unconscious comparison.
However, it is difficult to completely step away from social media.
Sometimes it is necessary for work, and it is also fun to know how friends are doing. Therefore, what is important is to keep a healthy distance.
For example, keep only those who make your heart feel lighter after you finish looking at their posts in your follow list. Conversely, have the courage to let go of posts that stir up feelings of impatience every time you see them.
There is room for choice even within social media.
It is like having sweet snacks and fresh vegetables in the refrigerator. Depending on which one you choose to eat, the nutritional state of your heart changes significantly.
Also, it is effective to view the information flowing through social media as a "stage."
The person bathed in light on the stage is only showing a small part of their life. Behind the scenes or in the dressing room, tired faces and messy daily lives are hidden. We get tired because we look only at the stage and compare it to our own behind-the-scenes reality.
If you imagine that there is a backstage, the weight on your heart will likely ease a little.
And another method is to try being on the "posting side."
While just watching makes it easy to be dragged into comparisons, when you put your own small experiences into words and share them, social media changes from a place that steals your approval to a place where you share your thoughts. You can honestly vent your fatigue, or you can write about lessons that might be useful to someone else.
That interaction gradually melts away the loneliness felt through the screen.
The moment when a heart tired of social media feels lighter unexpectedly arrives when you become conscious of "how you choose."
Who to follow, with what feelings to view it, and how to post.
The moment you regain that agency, social media changes from an enemy into an ally.
True happiness cannot be measured by numbers.
Instead of being swayed by the number of followers or the number of "likes," consider how much lighter your heart feels after you close the screen.
That might be the true scale for how to engage with social media.
The previous #SeriesThatCannotBeMeasuredByNumbers was...
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