Practicing social distancing? What about Social Media Distancing? With Covid-19 information overload, many persons are becoming consumed by the pandemic and this can be harmful to our health. One thing we can all agree on is that we need to be as healthy as we can be right now.

Social media can certainly help or hinder us in a time like this. While staying locked on to our favourite platforms, we must pay attention to how we’re feeling while we scroll. While the uncertainty of the situation itself can cause a whole heap of emotions and that’s quite normal, we must strive to intentionally manage our online behaviours. 

Let’s explore some of the positives and negatives

Positives
• Distraction
The creativity shown across the world through memes and videos help us to relax and calm our fears even if it’s just for a moment. There’s nothing like a good laugh!
• Real-Time News
This keeps us updated about what’s going on directly around us and it’s one of the fastest ways to get important information across
• Covd-19 Tips
The world has come together to ensure we are on top of things. Yes, you may be tired of hearing “wash your hands” but we’ve been hearing it all our lives anyway, right?
• In The Know 
What are the companies you’re affiliated with doing now? Social media keeps you in the know about how companies are navigating and adjusting to necessary changes ( Keep locked on to Sagicor’s social media pages and website to see what we’re doing. We are in this together!).

Negatives
• Contagious
Yup, we’re dealing with more than just a contagious virus. We’re sharing our feelings of panic and fear with each other.
• Fake News
Although creativity is considered a positive; creating fake news articles, misinformation and sharing conspiracies can cause people to panic, or, not take the pandemic seriously.
• Information overload
Overwhelming information on the pandemic may lead to a person not being able to process and use it effectively. 
• Affects mental health
If you believe your mental health is being impacted, please see a mental health professional. Persons already suffering from anxiety, depression and other pre-existing conditions please be cautious.

It’s time to practice social media distancing when you’re experiencing the negatives above. However, lets look at ways to combat this before it becomes too much:

How To Manage Your Social Media Time
• Set time slots to scroll and stick to it
• Deactivate your account for a day or a couple of days
• Call your friends or FaceTime for face to face interaction instead of texting
• Verify News Sources
• Try traditional news sources like TV or newspaper
• Use your device to watch a movie or play a game instead
• Create healthy distractions