'Instagram worst for young people's mental health'

Social media is known to raise your spirits, and equally bog them down as well. In fact, a new study might come as disheartening for many social media users. A report by the Royal Society for Public Health in the UK said that photo-packed Instagram is the worst social media network for young people's mental health, followed by Snapchat.

The survey—#StatusofMind—surveyed 1,500 people in age group 14-23, and assessed their social media use patterns, and issues like anxiety and body image perceptions. Though excessive use of social media is known to trigger FOMO— fear of missing out—among youngsters, the study nails it. According to the report, seeing vibrant photographs of friends, travels, partying and fashion can trigger a negative attitude of comparison among users, especially young women.

Of the five social media platforms studied—Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube—Instagram was found to be most unhealthy, whereas YouTube was found to have a positive impact on young minds. Studies state that users who spent more than two hours a day on social media are more prone to mental health issues, anxiety and depression.

How may times a day do you scroll down that Facebook timeline? Is it your first go-to activity when you have nothing else to do, and want to kill time? Whether or not we suffer from FOMO, a social media detox can do us some good. Stepping away from the buzz can let you de-stress, and sleep better. Give social media detox a try with these simple steps.

1. Delete the apps: Our phones and other hand-held devices that we carry along most of the time are the biggest culprits that lure us in to mindlessly checking on feeds every other hour. So, first thing—delete the social media app that you use the most. This doesn't mean you are taking yourself off the social media network. You can always get back by reinstalling the app, or check on your desktop when you want.

2. Set a rule: If you find it difficult to let it go completely, set a schedule, and stick to it. Let's say—no Twitter till 7pm, Instagram only on weekends, no Facebook in office. These little instructions will surely help you. Also, if you are one who is obsessed with sharing photos, and updating statuses regularly, take a break. Assign a friend to keep a check on your posts and activity so that you don't break your own rules. Also if you are used to carrying phone around the house, skip that. Keep the phone in a designated place and do not touch unless necessary.

3. Unfollow your favourite pages: That recipe video, or latest gossip might be drawing you to the page frequently. Unfollow these pages and profiles. This is a way to deal with half your temptation to log on.

4. Use blocking apps: There are plenty of apps like AppDetox, BreakFree and more that help you track how much time you spent on various platforms. Try one of those. These apps also notifies you when you have exceeded your time, and can internally block certain pages.

5. Use the internet time effectively: Instead of mindlessly gazing through feeds and photographs, use the time to learn something new. Try some DIY projects, read books or join an online course. If nothing of that sort interests you, how about researching and contributing to Wikipedia?