How would you define (SMAD) Social Media Anxiety Disorder?
Social media anxiety disorder is not a clinical diagnosis for psychiatrists or psychologists. It is born out of the internet revolution and rapid growth in the use of social media. To be clear, SMAD is a bit different from what we diagnose as Social Anxiety Disorder which is "a persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny by others “
SMAD on the other hand is anxiety associated with using social media due to a fear of being judged negatively and scrutinized on social media channels by peers. This leads to avoidance of communication on social media platforms. This may also be due to a number of stories about hacked accounts and risks of misuse of personal information. This results in missing out on the advantages like faster communication, connecting with friends who you haven’t seen in years and may also be a way to connect with prospective employers and clients.
Tips on overcoming Social media anxiety
- Learn from someone who has used social media for a long time effectively
- Understand and be aware of all privacy and security settings on social media to prevent any loss of information
- Start slow by communicating with a few close friends and gradually build new connections
- Be clear about what you are going to use social media for..It maybe different for different people and at also at various times..It may be talking to old friends, finding new ones, attracting customers or even trying to find a partner
- Develop your profile slowly depending upon your reasons for using the medium
- Set your own rules and stick to them
- We have to realise that social media is to this century what television was to the previous one and we can’t afford to miss out because of our irrational fears
- SO HIT SOCIAL MEDIA carefully and with preparation