Is social media RUINING your life

If you find yourself worrying that your stomach isn't flat enough, your lack of career achievements or you don't measure up to those 'perfect' mums out there, the chances are social media is to blame. While social networks can certainly be a force for good the adverse affects on mental health are most keenly felt by women, because experts say we form deeper attachments to our mobile devices than men and are more likely to be addicted. In a new book published this week, Why Social Media Is Ruining Your Life, British author Katherine Ormerod investigates the worst aspects of being constantly connected and how to offset the negative impact on your life. 'Many of us are grappling with the more challenging impacts without any real idea of how to navigate the new waters, she explained. 'We're coping alone, consuming social media content from the moment we wake to the instant before we sleep and allowing the worst sides of it to slowly eat away at our self-esteem, sense of identity and happiness.Read on to find out how to break the pattern of endless scrolling that leaves you feeling depressed and lacking.   Women are more likely to become addicted to social media and experience adverse effects on their mental health (stock image) 1. Cull friends who won't connect offlineThere are few more important things to our happiness than our relationships, and they are definitely worth the investment. If time is of the essence, you need to get really brutal and honest with yourself about which of your relationships are priorities and which you're just going through the motions with. Making a cull, however heartless it sounds, will give you the quality time you need to connect deeply with the few instead of superficially with the many. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Hang the item, use capitals in your title and NEVER take... 'None of us have it all together': The ugly truth about what... Share this article Share It's worth initiating a conversation, which could happen via technology, about how you feel. Tell loved ones that you want to spend more quality time with them both in person and on the phone and that you're missing the real-life connection. If they don't respond well to your suggestion of more offline interaction, they probably deserve a one-way ticket to your cull list.  Spending time with friends rather than connecting digitally will benefit your wellbeing, and if someone isn't willing to spend time together in real life it might be time to reconsider the friendship (stock image)2. Embrace real-life arguments Social media makes it easy to hide behind a screen and avoid conflict. However, when it comes to face-to-face clashes, the only way any of us are going to get any better at dealing with intimidating in-person situations is, sadly, practice. It's so easy to obsess about the way that our words might be received that you can forget that conversations are two-way streets. Try showing vulnerability, coming at the issue honestly and