In the early 1900s, the phrase, Keeping up with the Joneses” was coined to describe the urge to mimic what your friends and neighbors have in their possession. Back then, we were comparing cars, houses and how well your neighbor’s yard was maintained. Today though, social media allows you to compare yourself to celebrities who tout million dollar mansions, designer clothes and lavish lifestyles. This envious comparison has proven to lead to depression in clinical studies. To combat this envy, some people start buying things to “keep up with the Joneses” leading to debt which can intensify depression and an overall poor mental state. To avoid social media affecting your mental state, try to be mindful about your social media use as well as take personal steps to improve your mental health or even seeking professional help if necessary. Finally, being mindful of your spending and controlling your debt is beneficial as well.
Key Takeaways:
- Trying to make yourself look good on social media cost you ore money affects your mental health.
- To lower these risks, lower the time you spend on social media.
- Create a budget to track your spending habits and see a mental health professional if it is needed.
“With the introduction of social media, we are no longer being competitive with out neighbors or cross-town rivals. Instead we compete with the world to prove how great our lives are compared to them. Studied have linked depression to feeling envious of your facebook friends.”