• News
    • Campus
    • Local
    • World
  • Arts and Entertainment
    • Performing Arts
    • Visual Arts
    • Music
    • Film
    • Fashion
  • Lifestyle
    • Campus Happenings
    • Community Happenings
    • Food
    • Business
    • Travel
    • Calendar
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Video
    • Globe News
    • What’s Bruin
    • Bruin Lens
    • Film
    • Music
    • Globe Shorts
  • Radio
Search
29.3 F
Salt Lake City
Friday, February 3, 2023
  • Newsletter Signup
  • Contests
  • About The Globe
    • Staff
    • Jobs
    • Issue PDFs
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Privacy Policy
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
The Globe The Globe
The Globe The Globe
  • News
    • Campus
    • Local
    • World
  • Arts and Entertainment
    • Performing Arts
    • Visual Arts
    • Music
    • Film
    • Fashion
  • Lifestyle
    • Campus Happenings
    • Community Happenings
    • Food
    • Business
    • Travel
    • Calendar
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Video
    • Globe News
    • What’s Bruin
    • Bruin Lens
    • Film
    • Music
    • Globe Shorts
  • Radio
Home News Campus The importance of setting social media boundaries
  • News
  • Campus
  • Lifestyle

The importance of setting social media boundaries

By
Danalee Camacho
-
March 2, 2021
0
Social media icons on a smartphone
According to a Pew Research report, 7 in 10 adults visit at least one social media platform daily. (Adem AY, Unsplash)

Technology is incorporated into our everyday lives, with endless amounts of information at our fingertips. College students use it for just about everything, from keeping up-to-date with classes on Canvas to staying connected with friends during a global pandemic.

According to a 2019 study from Pew Research Center, about 74% of U.S. adults with some college education use at least one social media site a day, with 73% of U.S. adults using YouTube, followed closely by Facebook. Instagram came in as the third most-used social media site, with 37% of U.S. adults checking in daily.

In a 2020 series on how Generation Z uses technology, The New York Times reported that social media provides an important social outlet for college students to share key moments from midterm stress to concerns about climate change.

Building boundaries with social media can also help students maintain healthy relationships while staying connected to others, according to counseling psychologist Dione Laguana, clinical director at Northwest Therapy Group in Washington state.

But social media can also challenge emotions, Laguana said, and building healthy relationships with social media can be beneficial no matter the user preference of how they stay socially connected.

Salt Lake Community College student Monyka Chheng, a communication major, uses social media to stay in touch with family more than a thousand miles away or friends she has not met recently due to the current pandemic.

“I know it is toxic, and there are good and bad parts of it,” Chheng said. “What brings me joy about social media is being able to stay updated with family and friends to see where they are at in life especially with my family in Cambodia. I get to see what they are doing and how different their way of life is.”

However, the relationship with these platforms can also harm mental health, and setting boundaries is important, warns Laguana.

“One of the beauties of social media is that you have some control over the content you are seeing,” Laguana said. “Being very aware of the time you are spending on social media and being very intentional when choosing to pick up your devices to log on. We need to be aware of the content we are viewing and how it affects our mood.”

Laguana advised paying attention to the amount of time spent on social media and avoiding mindless scrolling. Control of the environment, she said, lies with the user.

Kyleen Buckner, SLCC biology major, said she uses social media to connect with friends through gaming and finding inspiration through their posts.

“A friend posted a drawing that looked really awesome,” Buckner said. “I love seeing my friend’s art. It’s encouraging to see, because my friend recently went through a breakup and it was her first art piece.”

As a game moderator, Buckner also said she is cautious in how she engages.

“On Facebook, you can surround yourself with friends, and at the same time your friends might say things you don’t agree with. Sometimes it is filled with a lot of uncomfortable things, but you can selectively block them,” she explained.

  • TAGS
  • college students
  • Dione Laguana
  • Kyleen Buckner
  • Monyka Chheng
  • social media
  • technology
Danalee Camacho

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

TikTok app shown on a phone screen

Gen Z ex-Mormons find community on social apps like TikTok

Man pumps gas into a dark-colored vehicle

High gas prices pump prudence into students’ monthly budgets

Columbia University graduate Carlos Mayorga wears a cap and gown

More people are waiting to start college. How does that look for some students?

A Caucasian male whose face is lit up by a smartphone in a dark room

Americans are having less sex. Experts offer insight into why, and advice on how to move forward

Group photo of students involved with the Black Menaces

BYU students spread racial awareness through viral TikTok videos

The Globe
ABOUT US
About The Globe
Staff
Jobs
Issue PDFs
FOLLOW US
  • About The Globe
  • Staff
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs
© 2023 The Globe