Are you worried about disturbing photos and videos on social media? This is how to maintain your peace of mind

 Are you worried about disturbing photos and videos on social media? This is how to maintain your peace of mind

During the Gen-G protests on 23 and 24 Bhadra, Nepali society had to witness a horrific situation that it had never seen or experienced. In the age of social media, not only basic news and information about them, but also rumors that scare and frighten many.

Even after life has returned to normal after the protests, the flood of violent and disturbing content from the protests has not stopped on social media. Which is negatively affecting our mental health. Today, we are discussing ways to protect ourselves from such content on social media and maintain our peace of mind.

Why is it important?

Research shows that repeated exposure to violent or disturbing photos, videos, and other content increases stress, anxiety, and feelings of helplessness. These effects are not only short-term; over time, it reduces the emotional resources needed to take care of ourselves and others. Social media platforms are designed to increase user engagement, not to protect their peace of mind. In addition, over the past year, major social media platforms have also reduced their content moderation efforts. This means that content that you don’t want to see may end up in your feed.

What to do?

You don’t have to watch every single thing that comes across your screen. Protecting your mental health isn’t about ‘avoiding’ or ‘denying’, but rather a way to conserve the energy you need to stay active, kind, and productive.

Social media isn’t neutral. Its algorithms are designed to capture your attention. Which can also promote harmful or sensational content. It only benefits the companies that make social media when you’re inactive.

Protecting your attention means reclaiming your power to do your job. You can take control of what enters your mind by turning off autoplay, filtering content, or curating your feed.

Here are four practical steps you can take to reduce your exposure to violent or disturbing videos.

1. Turn off autoplay or limit sensitive content

These settings may vary by device, operating system, and app version. But turning off autoplay will reduce the chance of unwanted videos playing automatically.

2. Use Keyword Filters

Most platforms allow you to 'mute' or 'block' specific words, phrases, or hashtags. This can significantly reduce the chance of graphic or violent content appearing in your feed.

3. Curate Your Feed

Unfollow accounts that regularly share disturbing photos or videos. Instead, 'follow' accounts that provide you with knowledge, connection, or joy.

4. Set boundaries

Set aside phone-free time during mealtimes or before bed. Research shows that such planned breaks reduce stress and improve mental health.