Let’s face it: even though we know that spending too much time online can affect us negatively, from affecting our sleep to worsening existing symptoms of depression, cutting down the amount of time we spend on our screens, and especially our phones, is easier said than done.
With the current month of August, and soon approaching September, means that the new academic semester or school year is starting up, or maybe you work somewhere. For me at least, I’m going to be working full time instead of part-time, and also am entering my final semester of college where I have classes to finish. This is all on top of balancing other life responsibilities, social life, and other extracurriculars.
Quite simply: it can be difficult processing a lot of the major news stories right now. In a world where news notifications flash on our phones a few times an hour and social media feeds and “for you” pages are either giving more details about said news or showing a constant stream of pessimistic memes, negative news is hard to avoid.
With more and more people opening up about their mental health online, you may find yourself thinking about a few things. You may feel proud of them for opening up about their struggles on a large platform, or you might feel comforted and feel less alone that someone you know also has struggles with their mental health. You might think about how social media is helping reduce the stigma about mental illness by giving many the opportunity to write about what they’re going through too.
Our minds often give us images of certain types of people when we think about certain things. For example, we tend to think of those with anxiety to be by themselves, preferring to be alone and in the quiet. It can be easy and even confusing to separate introversion and social anxiety, since both include a preference of being alone and away from crowds. Even though there are significant differences, the assumption is that most people with social anxiety are also introverts, and that the two go hand in hand.
Recently, I have been STRESSED. I am getting ready to graduate in a couple weeks and with that comes multiple tests and assignments as well as working on preparation for me to move across the country and to start a new adult job.
We’ve talked about expressing and writing down gratitude plenty of times before. No matter how big and how small, being able to name anything positive can have an impact on your mental health and wellbeing. Whether it’s being able to acknowledge the good things at the end of the day or being able to look back and read them if you’re feeling down, remembering that there are always good things that can happen, even when it doesn’t feel like it and knowing there’s a light when things feel bleak can make the biggest difference.
The art of subtweeting isn’t a particularly difficult one. It involves posting something on social media (regardless of its name being based off of Twitter) that’s most likely negative, most likely about someone you know, but always indirect. No names are mentioned, no handles are included, and the post is passive-aggressive, rarely specific, but hints that someone has offended the original poster. Think things like “I hope you remember what you did,” “Lol. Pathetic,” or maybe even “God, can you stop subtweeting?”
We are living in an era of instant information. Anything you want to know about is at your fingertips. Not to mention how many diverse voices are present online.
In the past few years, using a bullet journal in lieu of a planner has boomed in popularity, particularly among adolescents. This is partly due to social media sites such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube (often found under the #bujo or #bulletjournal hashtag), where people can turn to for ideas and where to start, if not an aesthetic to hopefully achieve. They’re colorful, creative, and an opportunity for people to have their journal truly be a reflection of them.
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