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Millions Of Retirees Absolutely Sopping Wet After Seeing Alex Trebek's New Beard

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The Onion - America's Finest News Source

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ur love of social media seems to have grown and grown in the past decade, but recent studies show the tide may be turning for some platforms, with young people in particular ditching Facebook. One study claims that more than 11 million teenagers left Facebook between 2011 and 2014. It's been argued that they are swapping public platforms such as Twitter and Instagram for more private messaging apps like WhatsApp and Snapchat.

We asked the Guardian's younger readers whether they have quit social media and why, as well as what apps they are ditching. Almost all reported a greater sense of happiness after going offline. Here, we share some of their experiences.

Daisy, 23, Manchester: 'I feel less anxious and less like a failure'

After a romance ended with a guy I really liked, I kept trying to avoid Facebook so I wouldn't have to see him. It was after this that I gradually switched off from it, but before that I'd been wanting to quit for a while.

Facebook made me feel anxious, depressed and like a failure. When I went online it seemed like everyone was in Australia or Thailand, and if they weren't travelling they were getting engaged or landing great jobs. I felt like everyone was living the dream and I was still at home with my parents, with debt from my student loan hanging over me.

I also felt that if I wasn't tagging myself at restaurants or uploading photos from nights out, people would assume I wasn't living. I remember a friend from uni said to me once, "Yeah, but you're still going out having fun, I've seen on Facebook." I tried to present myself as always having a great time. If my status didn't get more than five likes, I'd delete it.

It makes you realise who your real friends are and how ​​social media takes the joy out of sharing news with people

My life has changed for the better since deleting social media. I now enjoy catching up with my friends, and when they tell me new plans my response isn't just, "Yeah, I saw on Facebook." It makes you realise who your real friends are and how social media takes the joy out of sharing news with people. I also feel less anxious and less of a failure.

I'm planning to visit a friend in Australia next month, and she and my mum and a couple of other friends want me to go back on Facebook to share my pictures. I'd really prefer not to, though. I'm on Instagram, but I mostly follow sarcastic quote pages. I've never had a Twitter account.

George Lincoln, 17, Hampshire: 'A lot of young people aren't interested in Facebook any more'

When I first got Facebook, it appealed to me because I could talk to all my friends and see how they were feeling, but now it seems to have become more trivial. Instead of seeing what friends are putting up, I just see the articles that they "like" and other comments I'm not interested in. I want to concentrate on more useful things and I find it very distracting. I don't worry about missing out on stuff, because I still use the Messenger app on Facebook to stay in touch with everyone.

I've been off Facebook for two weeks now and I don't really feel tempted to go back. I've thought a few times about logging back in but I haven't so far. Since I quit, no one has really spoken to me about it; everyone is busy focusing on college work.

A lot of young people aren't interested in Facebook any more - it's become really overcrowded and other sites such as Snapchat are offering something new and exciting.

Snapchat has been called teens' favourite app. Photograph: Carl Court/Getty Images

Ben, 21, Surrey: 'I have a much more positive mindset now'

I made a New Year resolution to cut down on my social media use. After doing this I started to ask, why am I using it at all? That's why I've quit various platforms over the past year: Snapchat in November and Facebook in June. I've never really had WhatsApp or Twitter. I mainly used Facebook at university, for organising events and meet-ups, but I've gradually started to realise how pervasive is it. I also feel uncomfortable with the amount of time I used to spend on it.

I've always found social media to be an environment in which people constantly seek attention and validation through one-upping people's comments, and boasting over likes and retweets.

We've not needed social media for thousands of years and now people think your life is over if you don't have it

We've not needed social media for thousands of years and now it feels like people think your life is over if you don't have it, which is ridiculous. I joined when I was 13, but I don't feel like I really knew what I was signing up for and the platform has changed a lot over the years. There's much more advertising on it now, for example.

I didn't find it hard to quit and, after a while, contacting people through other means became the norm. People completely respect my not being on social media, and some wish they could do it too. Since I left, I've spoken to people about it and that's convinced them to do the same.

I'm more productive and less concerned with what other people think about me - now, the only person I have to regularly compare myself with is me. I'm in a much more positive mindset without social media than I ever was with it. It's let me see who my friends truly are, and who I was only concerned with simply because they were there on social media. I now use a basic non-smartphone and email as my only forms of communication, and people have adjusted to it.

Twitter has more than 300m monthly active users. Photograph: Damien Meyer/AFP/Getty Images

Syed Ali, 19, Birmingham: 'I don't need to prove anything to people'

There's so much negativity on social media, with people complaining about how tough their lives are (and these are the same people who post a picture of every meal they eat). That's part of the reason I haven't been using it for the past three years.

Posting on social media is quite frustrating because it feels like everyone is conforming to the norms, and you have to post photos of yourself (every place you visit, etc). Some people merely "like" your pictures so you return the favour - it's childish. I don't need to prove anything to people or show people I'm doing well. This has made me a much happier person.

Rosanna Cassidy, 25, Nottingham: 'I can live my life instead of trying to shape it into one that looks good online'

I'd been thinking about quitting Facebook for a long time, but the EU referendum finally made me bite the bullet. I was sick and tired of people trying to force their political beliefs upon me, and I found it so depressing that people were repeating views they had heard that weren't true.

Now, three months later, without Facebook I feel much happier and more content. I can live my life instead of trying to shape it into one that looks good online. I also have a lot more time now, and it's easy enough to keep in touch with my friends in other ways. What's more, now we can have conversations about what we've been doing because we haven't seen it all already on social media.

I don't plan on going back to Facebook, but I still have my Instagram account, which I check once a day. Instagram is different because it's not as time-consuming, and you don't get bombarded with other people's views. Plus, the Instagram community is more supportive. I gave up Twitter years ago because it didn't really feel like it had a point, and it was just a space for opinionated people to air their views in a non-constructive way.

Kevin, 23, Dublin: 'I enjoy actually talking to people face to face'

When I used Facebook, I found myself aimlessly watching videos and scrolling through articles that I never had any interest in reading in the first place. Furthermore, the Facebook statuses I saw were very uninspiring.

Leaving Facebook was one of the best decisions I've made this year. Aside from the increased productivity that comes from not having it, I enjoy actually talking to people face to face, and not seeing what someone I met once, years ago, had for breakfast.

I do, however, forget to wish a lot of people happy birthday and I seem to be months behind in finding out some news - but I find out eventually.

Leaving Facebook was one of the best decisions I've made this year

Sophie, 18, Surrey: 'I used to check for updates countless times a day. Now, I'm free'

I've never really used Instagram and Tumblr because I don't see the point of them. I had Twitter for news updates when I was in school and sixth form, but stopped using it when my exams started. As for Facebook, I only ever used it to contact my friends, but Skype chats and other apps mean I don't need it any more.

I've been free from the chains of social media for about six months now, which doesn't seem like a lot of time, but it feels like it now that my time isn't being sapped by these apps. It sounds so silly, but since leaving I feel like my own person. Before, Facebook and Twitter became almost like extra arms attached to me that I constantly had to be aware of. I used to check for updates countless times every day. Now, I don't have to be reliant and dependent on it any more - it's like a breath of fresh air. I don't plan on going back, except for maybe WhatsApp if I need to talk to people when I'm abroad.

Some names have been changed.

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Does quitting social media make you happier? Yes, say young people doing it

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ur love of social media seems to have grown and grown in the past decade, but recent studies show the tide may be turning for some platforms, with young people in particular ditching Facebook. One study claims that more than 11 million teenagers left Facebook between 2011 and 2014.

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Learn how platform developers have discovered what makes social media so addictive and developed features to keep us hooked. Plus content tips for your users!

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What is your favorite social media?

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Respond with thoughts!

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The rise of social media has meant that people are more connected than we have ever been in the history of time. But our reliance on social media can have a detrimental effect on our mental health, with the average Brit checking their phone as much as 28 times a day.

While social media platforms can have their benefits, using them too frequently can make you feel increasingly unhappy and isolated in the long run.

The constant barrage of perfectly filtered photos that appear on Instagram are bound to knock many people's self-esteem, while obsessively checking your Twitter feed just before bed could be contributing towards poor quality of sleep.

Here are six ways that social media could be negatively affecting your mental health without you even realising.

We all have our fair share of insecurities, some that we speak about openly and others that we prefer to keep to ourselves.

However, comparing yourself to others on social media by stalking their aesthetically perfect Instagram photos or staying up to date with their relationship status on Facebook could do little to assuage your feelings of self-doubt.

A study conducted by the University of Copenhagen found that many people suffer from " Facebook envy ", with those who abstained from using the popular site reporting that they felt more satisfied with their lives.

"When we derive a sense of worth based on how we are doing relative to others, we place our happiness in a variable that is completely beyond our control," Dr Tim Bono, author of When Likes Aren't Enough explained in Healthista.

Becoming more conscious of the amount of time you spend scrolling through other people's online profiles could help you focus more on yourself and boost your self-confidence.

As human beings, it's so important for us to be able to communicate and forge personal connections with one another.

However, it can be hard to do so when we're glued to rectangular screens, becoming more acquainted with our friends' digital facades than their real-life personas.

Stina Sanders, a former model who has 107,000 followers on Instagram, explained how social media sometimes makes her feel like she's being left out.

"I know from my experience I can get FOMO when I see my friend's photos of a party I didn't go to, and this, in turn, can make me feel quite lonely and anxious," she told The Independent.

A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology that assessed 5,208 subjects found that overall, regular use of Facebook had a negative impact on an individual's wellbeing.

Social media can be great for looking back fondly on memories and recounting how past events occurred.

However, it can also distort the way in which you remember certain tidbits from your life.

Many of us are guilty of spending far too much time trying to take the perfect photo of a visual marvel, all the while not actually absorbing the firsthand experience of witnessing it with your own two eyes.

"If we direct all of our attention toward capturing the best shots for our social media followers to admire, less will be available to enjoy other aspects of the experience in real time," said Dr Bono.

"Spending too much time on our phones will detract from those other aspects of the experience, undermining the happiness we could be gleaning from them."

Having enough sleep is of paramount importance.

However, many of us use our phones too soon before choosing the hit the hay, making it harder to doze off.

"Getting worked up with anxiety or envy from what we see on social media keeps the brain on high alert, preventing us from falling asleep," explained Dr Bono.

"Plus, the light from our mobile device just inches from our face can suppress the release of melatonin, a hormone that helps us feel tired."

Try setting yourself a strict rule of not going on your phone for at least 40 minutes to an hour before going to bed, and see if that makes a difference to the quality of your sleep.

It's not just your subconscious brain that you need to worry about, but also the extent to which your brain is able to fully concentrate when you're awake.

While it's incredible to consider the amount of information readily available at our fingertips thanks to social media, it also means that people have become far more easily distracted.

"Social media has provided a means of constantly giving into the temptation of instant, easy-access entertainment," said Dr Bono.

If you're unable to not check your phone for at least a few minutes, then you'd do well to practise exercising your willpower on occasion.

Not only has social media been proven to cause unhappiness, but it can also lead to the development of mental health issues such as anxiety or depression when used too much or without caution.

In March 2018, it was reported that more than a third of Generation Z from a survey of 1,000 individuals stated that they were quitting social media for good as 41 per cent stated that social media platforms make them feel anxious, sad or depressed.

Ben Jacobs, a DJ who has more than 5,000 followers on Twitter, decided to go on a hiatus from the platform in January 2016 and has found the break really beneficial.

"Twitter did indeed make me feel anxious from time to time as it slowly dawned on me I was concerning myself with the feelings of the thousands of strangers I followed, while they didn't necessarily know who I was," he said.

"Since my Twitter hiatus, I have had a clearer head with plenty of time to devote to other things such as waking up in a cold sweat at 3am and reading a book instead."

While you don't necessarily have to quit social media for good, if you feel like it's beginning to bog you down, why not consider allocating social media-free time slots during your daily routine? The slight change could do you a whole lot of good. [This article was originally published in October 2020]
If you are in need of mental health support, you can contact the free Samaritans helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or visit www.samaritans.org to find details of your nearest branch.

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Six ways social media negatively affects your mental health without you even knowing

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The rise of social media has meant that people are more connected than we have ever been in the history of time. But our reliance on social media can have a detrimental effect on our mental health, with the average Brit checking their phone as much as 28 times a day.

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Read this article and respond with your thoughts!

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Is Facebook for old people? Over-55s flock in as the young leave

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A forecast 700,000 teenagers and young adults will leave the social media site in 2018

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Kyle: Thinks it’s stupid people should get off their phones

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My friend said social media is enjoyable but when she use too much she could not focus on her homework.

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Ted: Needs more censorship. False information is a bad thing to causing wars and stuff. Social media is an outlet for disaster.

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I think Social media for some people sucks them out of the real world and can maybe even destroy relationships in the real world.

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social media takes over people lives.

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My moms opinion of fake news is they originated from politicising views and using it as a weapon to affect the public opinion. Different political parties are using fake news to gain supporters for their policies and agenda. Fake news are very destructive for constitutional rights of people. The damage that they creates sometimes ruin people’s life and careers. People can protect themselves by researching reputable sources on the subject and question the political affiliation of the sources. From the standpoint of controlling the fake news, there should be a legislation passed in the congress to make a punishment or a system of fines for reporting a fake news or fake accusations. When fake news will be prohibited by law, public will less likely receive a fake news.

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Social Media is a becoming more and more of a distraction to our generation and the generations to come. People are becoming dependent on social media to make them happy or to interact with people.

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Social media has put teenagers through so much stress and sadness. It has made us so much more self conscious.
Question: How does facebook manipulates your emotions?

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My grandma says that in general people use their phones too much, but social media connects people that maybe otherwise wouldn't know each other. It helps stay in touch with friends that are far away and helps people meet new people. Even though she doesn't use social media she texts everyone.

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My mom said, "Social Media can help us to connect with others, but it can also be addictive."

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My mom says "Social media is making children today antisocial. They try and go on social media at dinner and when you're trying to talk to them and there more concerned with there phones than anything else." She also finds social media confusing and doesn't understand how to use it.

My dad says " i like to watch funny videos on facebook, but he doesn't like when i'm on my phone."

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My friend that I interviewed said:"Society is fed with false information in a way that isn't the most obvious especially to devoted watchers.People will believe anything. It’s a mind blowing how easy it is to tweak someone’s perception of reality. She believes fake news will further spread as long as people choose to stay gullible and be easily influenced by whatever comes their way.False information has been spread centuries before social media's arise".

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Social media is helpful in certain situations, it shouldn't be the only way people should communicate

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Social media disconnects teenagers, making it harder to have face-to-face conversations.

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Social media connects people that have not seen each other a lot