anxiety, depression, and OCD “pandemic” - social media addiction

I'm 20 and I completly agree. Real life has shifted and now friendships and connections happen online and if you can't or don't want to keep up, you're lost. Everything is fast paced - all the bad news and all the suffering is being shown to us in real time and everyone is lost in their own little bubbles. I feel very anxious, lonely and melancholic at times. At least I have few good friends and my parents to rely on.
I can't identify with youth culture at all which can be alienating at times but I won't change myself to fit in or deny my values just for others to like me. I feel your struggle and it is overwhelming. We can't change things on our own.

What we can do is trust in Jesus, pray and find our own bubbles that are less damaging to our mental health.
Bless you

In my work field I have crossed paths many young adults, in the very state you describe or worst.

For anxiety, the bubble syndrome is not a solution but increase the cause. Just think for a sec.... if ISOLATION causes anxiety isolating yourself more only increase those anxiety levels.

If meds are recommended, it is not shameful to get continue taking your meds, they help with the chemical imbalance you are going through.

If there are volunteer clubs try them, what is recommend but comes with a caution approach is involving yourself in the community.

Home less shelters, free meal wagons, youth camps, Libraries, elderly homes, coaching little leagues, schools, college work study, poem

clubs, movie review clubs, music clubs, pairing clubs, crafting clubs, sports clubs.... I am sure there are few around you , if not start them.

The point is to get off the Phones , off the computers and SOCIALIZE.

While walking down a street (always keep your guard) lift your head and smile , maybe a small " how are you doing today" will brighten the lives of those you cross paths with and perhaps even your own.

The 'breaking the ice' in socializing is a dying art form , many at drop a of a hat , to follow gossip, trends, viewership, conforming, ...etc. and many that are plain social constraints that only increase your anxiety in do time.

Now there are drugs and then there are DRUGS.
We heard all the media about the illegal ones, but it is the ones on your grocery shelves that do the most damage. For instance 'SUGAR' plain old 'sugar' has just recently been label a additive drug.... imagine that...

Since the inception of sugar into our lives it has additive qualities, not to mention leads many to tow the line of diabetes and even crossing that line in to full blown type 1 or 2. MORE ANXIETY.

If something as innocent as table sugar does that much damage to adults, imagine the damage done to fetuses ?!?

bottom line is our world thrives in fleecing their own people for corporate profits, and your anti-socialism brings them a hefty pennies in retail sales and advertisement.

anxiety, depression, and OCD “pandemic” - at any given moment, there are ads running on what is ignorantly label as social media to get your hard earn money, cause with a little persuasion, people so glibly by the millions will willing fork it over.

Use this as fuel to get out there physically and live a life free of their lies and grab a hold of new friends by making them, not finding them on media platforms.

People you can grow to trust in, confide in, even rejection should be cause of strength not weakness.

try other foods, change your diet and watch the sugar intake....

These are many things that YOU can control and list them in what ever priority list as you want. And defiantly not let media platforms dictate what music you should like, how to dress, what movies to watch, TV shows to follow You are YOU and only YOU know what YOU like, so have at it a smile once in a while , you'll just may make another person's day brighter.

(This is but a small sample there is a lot more out there that will help you)

lilahjane said:

i’m twenty-six years old. is it just me or is navigating the world as a young adult way more difficult than it was twenty or so years ago? iPhones, iPads, TV, social media, etc. i feel like a lot of young people, like myself, are spiraling and are so lost in different mental health crises. i see the entirety of the real world attached to their smartphones like it’s oxygen. i struggle to make real-life friends because of my anxiety and being addicted to my cell phone. when i get anxiety, the depression creeps in because i am anxious, and then, the OCD (intrusive thoughts that are untrue) does, too. it’s just overwhelming. anyone else feel like this? isolated? confused? may Jesus bless you all. we have to keep praying and turn our eyes upon Him.

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It's definitely more difficult now. And 20 years ago, it was more difficult than it was 40 years ago. I don't know how much more people can take before something breaks. Turning our eyes upon Jesus is certainly the best course of action.

i also struggle with connecting with people. i have zero friends and a few acquaintances. i find that nowadays people are not keen to open up; they often use small talk as a means to create a barrier. And many people in church already have friends outside church, so their friend quota is filled. Social media certainly makes people even less inclined to make friends as they can be lost in their video games.... so it is so hard socially as a young adult today.

lilahjane said:

i’m twenty-six years old. is it just me or is navigating the world as a young adult way more difficult than it was twenty or so years ago? iPhones, iPads, TV, social media, etc. i feel like a lot of young people, like myself, are spiraling and are so lost in different mental health crises. i see the entirety of the real world attached to their smartphones like it’s oxygen. i struggle to make real-life friends because of my anxiety and being addicted to my cell phone. when i get anxiety, the depression creeps in because i am anxious, and then, the OCD (intrusive thoughts that are untrue) does, too. it’s just overwhelming. anyone else feel like this? isolated? confused? may Jesus bless you all. we have to keep praying and turn our eyes upon Him.

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This class covers one of the big causes of anxiety. The information is likely applicable to many people of all ages.
Cell phones cause a LOT of problems, but the sugar consumed while on them can be even more harmful.
This is a good class in nutrition as it relates to the brain and hormones. It's shorter than a lot of college classes, but far more practical than most.

lilahjane said:

i’m twenty-six years old. is it just me or is navigating the world as a young adult way more difficult than it was twenty or so years ago? iPhones, iPads, TV, social media, etc. i feel like a lot of young people, like myself, are spiraling and are so lost in different mental health crises. i see the entirety of the real world attached to their smartphones like it’s oxygen. i struggle to make real-life friends because of my anxiety and being addicted to my cell phone. when i get anxiety, the depression creeps in because i am anxious, and then, the OCD (intrusive thoughts that are untrue) does, too. it’s just overwhelming. anyone else feel like this? isolated? confused? may Jesus bless you all. we have to keep praying and turn our eyes upon Him.

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Just asking out of curiosity, do you think you're anxiety is due to being afraid of what people might think about you? Or that they might judge you?

lilahjane said:

i’m twenty-six years old. is it just me or is navigating the world as a young adult way more difficult than it was twenty or so years ago? iPhones, iPads, TV, social media, etc. i feel like a lot of young people, like myself, are spiraling and are so lost in different mental health crises. i see the entirety of the real world attached to their smartphones like it’s oxygen. i struggle to make real-life friends because of my anxiety and being addicted to my cell phone. when i get anxiety, the depression creeps in because i am anxious, and then, the OCD (intrusive thoughts that are untrue) does, too. it’s just overwhelming. anyone else feel like this? isolated? confused? may Jesus bless you all. we have to keep praying and turn our eyes upon Him.

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It is not more difficult, this insidious belief tells you that you are less prepared, less able than everyone who came before you. That of course is not true, not when you know who is for you.

1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

The original Greek here makes the message far clearer than the above English translation.
> Lust = Epithumia, which is a desire for the forbidden. A linked word is thumos, which means anger, rage. Uncontrollable.
> Flesh = Sarx, this is carnality, animal like nature, material mindset apart from God.
> Pride = Alazoneia, this means empty bragging, insolent and empty assurance, which trusts in its own power and resources. Pretentious and Charlatan.
> Life = Bios, this is livelihood, possessions and the material side of life. It is not Zoe, which is life as in purpose of life, spiritual. Zoe points to true life, not the material things in life.

So now we have a very different reading piece of scripture. One that outlines more clearly the signs and symptoms of the problem.

All which is of the world, the desire for the forbidden carnal nature, the uncontrollable desire for materialism and the empty assurance in it, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

This as you can see is the very same issue that all people before you have faced. Seek God above all.

Intrusive thoughts tell you what you are not, not what you are. Take comfort in knowing that the negative has no power over you when you trust in Christ.

How does someone who does actually wish to socialize with others, find other like-minded individuals? Like I go to a board game cafe, but there aren't people with an empty seat to fill - there's always already groups with more people than the game can accommodate, but none of the odd men out are willing to play something else with a newcomer.

If you try and join an existing in person event, you basically get the cold shoulder, but if there's a day and time at a public place that there isn't already an event scheduled, you cannot choose a type of event that would attract even one other person to do a 2 player game.

social medias certainly got alot to answer for.i watched a teenage boy last summer riding home from school on his bike.one hand on the handle bars the other looking at his mobile phone.just about sums it up for me.

Benjamin3000 said:

How does someone who does actually wish to socialize with others, find other like-minded individuals? Like I go to a board game cafe, but there aren't people with an empty seat to fill - there's always already groups with more people than the game can accommodate, but none of the odd men out are willing to play something else with a newcomer.

If you try and join an existing in person event, you basically get the cold shoulder, but if there's a day and time at a public place that there isn't already an event scheduled, you cannot choose a type of event that would attract even one other person to do a 2 player game.

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I think that's a very good question because it can be very difficult to find ways to meet up with people who are like minded, or have like interests. I for an example have struggled with this to a small degree and what I mean is... my interest, or taste in music is different from most of my friends. Same goes for relating to personal situations in life, video games, movies, even worldviews, but at the end of the day, I have learned that does not really matter when it comes to what I think what we all really want in a social setting, and that is to make genuine relationships. People's preferences in what they like change over time, but a true friend should stick by you through the thick and thin. With all that said, as a Christian, the best place I have been able to find like-minded people to socialize with is my church (no surprise) and similar settings, like Christian events, etc. The main thing that connects believers are other believers, then you can find other common ground things like what board games do they like to play, music to listen to, etc. and if at the end of the day they don't share they exact same interests as you do, it's still okay because there should be a deeper, richer friendship developing because of the common ground of believing in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. I understand you may go to a church and find it very difficult to relate to or make friends with anyone, but maybe that church is not the right one then and you may have to move on, but that's okay to (not that I'm encouraging church hopping or shopping, but I think you get what I mean). I know this is a long answer, but hope it is helpful.