Welcome back to episode 382 of The Paleo View! (0:40)
This week, Stacy is talking about a topic that is top of mind for a lot of people.
However, we often talk about this but don't actually do anything about it.
Stacy's hope is that through the science, discussion and recommendations, change for both the end of 2019 and the new year ahead will be inspired.
With the new decade, it is a chance to refresh and revamp.
Sarah and Stacy laughed about their year changing memories, especially the Y2K days.
 
Social Media Evolution
In the early 2000s, social media was a great way to connect with people you lost touch with.
There are so many different social media platforms these days, and new ones are always being launched.
For the purpose of this week's show, Facebook and Instagram will be referenced, but the tips apply across all platforms.
Social media is a constant evolution, but the principles remain the same.
You are interacting with people in the way they want you to interact with them; it is not reality.
Accounts are carefully curated, especially in the case of influencers.
Because influencers' livelihood is intrinsically linked to their social media image, it is a very carefully planned image.
Stacy uses social media for her livelihood and shared a bit about her approach and principles.
Oftentimes people experience Comparison Syndrome (10:29).
This is not just from the perspective of large influencers but is more strongly generated from.
We as audience members are in control of how we perceive and react to what is happening.
It is not our job to be telling someone what they should or should not be doing.
If we don't like what someone is doing, we have the ability to walk away, to unfollow, to mute, and to not participate.
 
More on Comparison Syndrome
Comparison Syndrome happens when you look at someone and think I wish I had that, their life is better than mine, or I wish I looked like another person.
When you have these feelings, Stacy encourages you to stop, think about what just happened to cause those feelings and make a change to redirect them.
Stacy shared on her experience with following people within the fitness space for inspiration.
It took her a year and a half to reformulate her feed.
She had to own her reaction each and every time and take action in that moment.
These feelings are rampant with younger people especially.
A desire to be seen in a certain way is a very real challenge for people in younger generations.
Around the holidays, in particular, we see such a heavy flood of carefully curated images.
This week's episode is meant to inspire us to be thoughtful and grateful for what we have and the life we get to live.
 
The Research
Where the research is at with social media is on how it impacts our social connectivity. (17:54)
In many ways, social media has replaced more intimate one-on-one connections with people.
This is where social media begins to have a negative impact on our health.
We can use social media where it actually improves our connectivity.
However, there are other ways that we can use social media that magnifies social isolation, depression, and envy.
The research shows that interacting with people through social media does not deliver the same rewards as interacting with someone in person.
It doesn't deliver the same level of emotional support or social support.
These are important elements of mental health and life satisfaction.
If our interactions with people are only online, we are not getting the same benefits as we would if we interacted with them in person.
People who are already vulnerable or have previous battles with depression and anxiety are more likely to have a magnification of negative emotions in response to social media. 
Sarah brought up the research around Social Comparison Syndrome.
Negative interactions online do not solely refer to cyberbullying.
Getting into an argument, seeing negative comments, and someone sharing their bad mood can all lower self-esteem, cause us to r