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By Veronica Beltran

Social media filtering

TYH: You’re in control of who and what you see on social media: Social media filtering

Aug 4, 2020 | 8:00 AM

“You should surround yourself with people that make you feel better, who build you up and support you,” those are the words of Mary Lu Spagrud, Manager of Education and Projects with the Canadian Mental Health Association in Prince George, in regards to who you should surround yourself with on social media.

Social media filtering is when you go through your social media platforms and rid them of accounts that may be having a negative impact on your mental health. Spagrud says that constantly comparing yourself to other people’s lives on social media can negatively impact your mental health.

“Lots of times really recognizing that what we see on there (social media) isn’t necessarily true, honest content. So looking at it through that lens of reality.”—Mary Lu Spagrud, Manager of Education and Projects with the Canadian Mental Health Association, Prince George

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Spagrud mentions that social media, at times, is more of a highlight reel for people than it is in fact reality—only highlighting the happy moments in someone’s life.

That constant comparison of your life verus what someone else’s life looks like on social media can result in a lowered sense of self-worth or self-image, cause anxiety and make you feel lonely.

So how do you go about filtering your social media?

“When you look at that person’s page or their Instagram feeds, or Snapchat or whatever it is…does it make you feel better, does it make you feel good or does it make you feel worse about yourself and if it does…toss it. Get rid of it.”—Mary Lu Spagrud, Manager of Education and Projects with the Canadian Mental Health Association, Prince George

Spagrud suggests surrounding yourself with accounts of people you admire and look up to. For her, the same rules that would go into an in-person relationship go into her online ones too.

“It’s the same as friends, you should surround yourself with people that make you feel better, who build you up and support you and we really need to have those same ideas and rules with social media,” said Spagrud.

“Don’t throw it all out.”—Mary Lu Spagrud, Manager of Education and Projects with the Canadian Mental Health Association, Prince George

Lastly, Spagrud says not to completely throw out social media as there is a lot of good that can come of the platforms.