Did you have a bad day today? Did you send out a tweet about your feelings, or post a comment on Facebook? You may think that expressing your frustration, dismay, and anger to everyone you know (and don’t know) is a healthy way to dissipate those feelings. However, psychological research has shown that the opposite is true. Instead of easing the emotion, venting keeps it at the forefront of your thinking and feeling.3 Ways Your Social Media Venting Is Harmful to You
You may believe venting “clears the air” and gets things “off your chest,” but the truth is that it doesn’t really make you feel much better. In fact, here are three reasons venting on social media may be harmful to your emotional well-being:
1. It keeps emotions aroused. Everyone has a flare-up of temper or a “poor me” moment from time to time. Young people who learn to take these emotions in stride soon realize that they aren’t worth dwelling on. These young adults are able to experience an emotion and let it go. When you text and post about your emotions and then check back for social media reaction, you perpetuate the emotion, lending it more power than it probably deserves.
2. It encourages impulsiveness. With smartphones, you can connect with friends on social media almost instantly. It is tempting to post anything you happen to be feeling, without the reflection or self-censorship that might be appropriate. In addition, the immediacy of social media produces impatience, and you may find yourself feeling insecure when the expected sympathetic comments are not forthcoming.
3. It harms relationships. When your venting involves work, family, and friends, you risk damaging important relationships. Expressions of self-pity and anger, made on the spur of the moment, are not thoughtful or reasoned. They may be hurtful to others and reveal characteristics that are not flattering to you. When you write an emotional post, you are not taking into account the harm it may do to yourself and to others.
Try a More Enlightening Strategy
Learn to control your emotions instead of letting them control you. A good way to practice this is through expressive writing. When you write about your feelings in a journal, you have an emotional release similar to venting. You will find, however, that you are able to move on from your feelings more quickly, and without harming yourself and others.
Life Skills Training for Young People in Recovery
Young people who are addicted to drugs or alcohol often lack the ability to accurately identify and regulate their emotions. That’s why Hope Academy, a CA residential addiction treatment center, includes life skills training as part of our recovery program. Call us now at 866-930-4673 and begin the enrollment process for your young adult son, daughter, or loved one.
