Can social media help you keep it together?

Hey everyone! I’m back with somewhat helpful (or not, according to how you think about it) information about how you can engage with the internet, social media and your student community, and not feel horrible after! (Is that possible??)

Although social media can literally be the bane of us right now, especially leaving us with massive FOMO (when friends from my exchange in Australia are going to clubs and concerts while the only concert I can enjoy is crickets chirping…), it can also really be a great tool to keep you motivated through the day. 

It’s hard when friends from my exchange in Australia are going to clubs and concerts while the only concert I can enjoy is crickets chirping…

The way social media works is that you want to post the best parts of yourself online. Although the purpose is to show your whole self and be true to your flaws and insecurities, we tend to bias towards showing the best parts of ourselves in order to make it look like we have it all sorted. At least, that’s what I do; if you don’t, can I get your autograph? 

Anyway, I digress. The point is, social media (even with this bias) can help you engage with other people, and also hold yourself accountable for some stuff. For example, if you post a story on Instagram, saying that you will be posting a reel of how you live a day in your life (in general, on work-heavy days, on chill days, etc.), it can help you fulfil the tasks you have in mind for that day. If you promise the internet that you’re going to finish your work, you would not want to fall short on your promise. It works the same way when you promise that you’ll take a day off, too; I made a Reel on Instagram on how a ‘chill’ day in the life of a PPEist looks like, and I literally forced myself to chill that day (apart from filming the clips). You wouldn’t think that it would work, but it actually does. The human mind works in mysterious ways. 

I made a Reel on Instagram on how a ‘chill’ day in the life of a PPEist looks like, and I literally FORCED myself to chill that day…

The human mind works in mysterious ways.

Furthermore, there are a lot of sources which can really help you out on social media (consumed in moderation). The Warwick PPE Student-Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC) has a really active social media presence on Instagram (full disclosure: I worked on some content for the account)! They’ve posted student-created clips about experiencing university in a pandemic, especially as a PPE student, while keeping students updated about how their requests and suggestions to improve student experience have been listened to and acted upon. 

The Warwick PPE Student-Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC) has a really active social media presence on Instagram; they post clips about university in a pandemic, especially as a PPE student, and keep students updated about the functioning of the SSLC.

There is also a lot of content online which is designed to help you make the most of your work sessions; workflow optimising techniques (such as the Pomodoro technique), ways to de-stress after large amounts of screen-time, podcasts to help you meditate and sleep, and so on. The internet can be really toxic at some points, but it can be extremely helpful in a lot of areas.

 So, although social media and the internet is generally seen as very draining for you mentally (at least, I’ve always viewed it that way), there are ways in which you can use it to help you out. I’ve used some of these techniques to varying success, so I can vouch for them. (For some, at least, to some extent. I’m not making a convincing case, am I?)

Hopefully this helps you finally get over that essay stress (it will get done in time, don’t worry), and get in that nap you’ve been wanting for a couple of days (yes, I can see you yawn through the screen; I hope it’s not because of this article). 

(Wait, am I writing this article for myself??!?)

In case you want to talk about anything, or have any queries I can help you with, don’t hesitate to message me! Take care of yourselves; I don’t just mean physically, but in all aspects of the word. 

Cover Image by Words as Pictures from StockSnap