Skin Time in a Social Media

1. If you are like me, we are connected to several hundred people on a daily basis through social media and email. This leads to a very "connected" life and one that can be updated with the hit of a send button. On more than 1 occasion I have sent a message into cyberspace about a particular life challenge and received supportive feedback from friends I personally know and "friends" who have linked through the social media source.
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3. Social media is a wonderful innovation to be sure. We have come a long way from rotary wall phones and black and white television to the streaming applications and instant communications we have today. However, social media is a two-edged sword with both positive and negative ramifications. On the positive side, social media has the ability to connect people at far distances and in real time. It has the ability for getting messages out there quickly and has been adopted by many public health organizations and social entities to share health information quickly to a wide audience. Social media has the ability to bring small and large organizations to the awareness of large groups of people at relatively little or no cost, thereby assisting the organization's outreach as well as helping individuals find resources that may not have otherwise been found in print media.
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5. On the downside, researchers are looking at the effects of social media on mental health. It has been noted that social media does not eliminate some of the isolation that individuals feel in life. The American Academy of Pediatrics has adopted the concept of "Facebook Depression" to describe the isolation that occurs among young people due to reliance on social media for their interpersonal and communication needs. It has even been found that those with lower self-esteem have lower "like" rates due to negative postings.
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7. While social media is often a boon to communication and personal connectedness, it has been this author's experience that we need "skin time" with real people. There is something that enhances our esteem and mood when we connect face-to-face with others. Connecting to others helps us use our communication and "people" skills in ways that boost our mood and help to maintain or build our self-esteem.
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9. Getting "skin time" is not as difficult as one might think. For those who are single and live alone, it is perhaps a vital element to maintaining one's mental health. Here are a few tips for getting some quality "skin time":
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11. 1) Be sure that you get out of your living space almost every day.
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13. 2) Initiate contact with others by a simple greeting or compliment.
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15. 3) At places that you frequent such as the grocery, the place you eat or the coffee shop, get to know staff by name and build a little rapport with them on each visit.
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17. 4) Be sure to try new places or rotate where you go for your "skin time" so that routine doesn't dull the experience.
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19. 5) Do something nice for someone who wouldn't expect it; remember a waiter's birthday with a card or take a box of fruit or candy to staff at your favorite place.
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21. 6) Be the one who brings an element of pleasantness to another's workplace and be consistent in doing so.
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23. 7) Listen; when you develop "skin relationships"; people like to be heard as well as to have to listen. The art of listening is a gift of sharing and develops relationships that are not "send button" limited.
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25. A healthy life is one that is balanced in all aspects, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Social media can be a great source of support, information and connection but it can also lead to isolation. Remember that cultivating simple relationships need not be a huge emotional task. We all need "skin time". It's good for our health.