4 Ways Technology Can Make You Happier

These days, you can’t go anywhere without hearing how technology is ruining everything, including ours. chance. There is some truth to this, but it is not the whole story.

Technology can be bad for us – for example, when social media offers us something FOMO (fear of missing out) or traps us in filter bubbles that prevent us from adopting different points of view on important issues. As a society, we are increasingly concerned that technologies like smartphones and social media lead to more social comparisons, cyberbullying, and more. solitude– all the obstacles on the path to happiness. In fact, technology appears to harm our happiness when it interferes with the mental, social, emotional, and behavioral processes that contribute to well-being.

But we often don’t recognize (and discuss) how technology can also promote happiness and well-being – for example, when we can make video calls with people around the world, or when apps or online articles give us meaning, joy or enthusiasm.

While I research my new book, Outsmart your smartphoneI have discovered many ways that technology can and does harm our happiness. But I’ve also discovered many ways that technology can and does contribute to our happiness – especially when we use it correctly.
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If you’re trying to limit your or your children’s technology use, consider some of the potential benefits. Here are four research-based ways to spend your time with technology that can improve your health, happiness, and well-being.

Social media is a space in which we can network socially behave in a friendly and helpful manner– Activities proven to improve health and well-being. For example, by sending messages on social networks, we can express a kind word or share our opinion. gratitude—Thanks again for listening as I had a rough day last week!– whenever you want, very easily, even with people far away.

A recent study found that social media plays a very important role in giving young people with symptoms of depression the opportunity to express themselves creatively, be inspired by others and even feel less alone. Thirty percent of young people with significant symptoms of depression report using social media when they feel depressed. underlinesor anxious usually makes them feel better, while only 22% say it makes them feel worse.

One participant said: “Social media makes me laugh and distracts me, giving me time to breathe and collect myself. Another shared: “It just helps me get out of my head for a while and find interesting topics to think about.” »

While social media can be beneficial for some, it may not be the best strategy for dealing with mental health issues because it could encourage certain problematic habits, like comparing ourselves to the seemingly perfect lives of our friends and other people we follow. But if we use it in conjunction with personal social interactionsIt actually seems to be a useful tool for self-expression and social connection.

It’s true that people who use Facebook more passively (e.g., browse without interacting with others) tend to be more depressed, according to at least one study. The authors suggest that passive social media use can encourage “upward social comparison behavior,” which can lead people to feel inferior (I’m horrible!), envious (it’s not fair!), or both.

But People who use Facebook People who are more active (e.g., liking, commenting, and posting) tend to be less depressed. They report receiving more positive comments, likes, and social support from others over time, which may contribute to a reduction in their depressive symptoms.

This suggests that certain types of online interactions with others may benefit us, perhaps because they involve social connection rather than social comparison. By reaching out to others, participating in meaningful social interactions, and strengthening our social connections, we can likely improve our well-being online.

Technology has given us access to many health and wellness resources and made creating them easier than ever. Practice skills like gratitudeMindfulness and emotion regulation online. Apps now let you do everything from tracking your mood to practicing therapeutic breathing and exercising. Resilience.

While not all wellness apps are equally effective, research suggests that evidence-based smartphone apps can actually give us the skills we need to optimize our well-being, help us stay motivated, and even improve our mental health. For example, research examines the benefits of mindfulness apps, apps that offer cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT, the gold standard of therapy) techniques, and apps that predict people’s moods and provide well-timed supportive interventions.
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And in my graduate research, we discovered that computerized training in Emotion regulation improved anxiety and well-being in those who had difficulty regulating their emotions, suggesting that these skills promote happiness can can be learned online.

As we all strive to take care of our minds and bodies, 80% of young adults research their health online. In fact, we can use the Internet to learn about health and wellness topics, read other people’s health stories, or consult a wellness practitioner. Research suggests it could give us more confidence in our decisions and improve our communication with healthcare providers.

It may be important to use the Internet in this way for people with mental health problems like depression. For example, one participant explains, “I have observed several people detailing their fitness routines and how they use them to combat mental health disorders such as body dysmorphia and those suffering from obesity and food addiction. »

In fact, 90 percent of young people suffering from depression look online for information about mental health issues. Although more research is needed to understand how this information is used, the Internet appears to be another avenue for people in distress to seek help. By giving us access to information about health, mental health and wellbeing, technology makes it easier for us all to find and discover the wellbeing strategies we need.

However, for the Internet to be a useful tool for finding health information, it is also important to improve our health literacy – ensuring that people know which websites to trust, how to accurately identify their health problems, and how to apply the information they find.
Technology – whether it’s the internet, smartphones or social media – can harm our happinessespecially if we allow it to bother us or distract us from personal interactions. But if we think about how we use technology, it also has the potential to make us happier.

​So we don’t necessarily have to give up our phones and computers or undertake a complete digital detox. Developers simply need to think about creating technologies, and we need to think about using them in ways that promote happiness.

Originally published by The science center for the common good.