Faiza Sarwar

Muslim Representation in Mental Health

by Faiza Sarwar · Apr 26, 2021

From navigating newfound “independence” to finding friends in a 500 person class, transitioning into university life was a struggle for me. Realizing that I was, in fact, not an exception to all those times faculty warned us that “university is much harder than high school,” I found myself constantly questioning my self worth and whether I was capable of seeing this college thing through. My mentor at the time worked at my school’s counseling and mental health service, and suggested that I consider looking into what they have to offer for students like me. After a week of staring at the phone number on the website, I finally worked up the courage to make the call. Somehow overpowering the urge to hang up the phone as soon as the counselor picked up and working up the courage to walk to my appointment, I found myself on a comfy little sofa across from my counselor.

Here, I found myself slowly opening up to him, delving into my University experience and accepting the fact that I was on that sofa because I deserved to talk to someone, not because there was something wrong with me. When he started asking me questions about my culture and religion, I froze. I almost felt the wall that I had painstakingly pieced apart build back up between us. He constantly reassured me that he was asking these questions to see if there was a sense of community I could establish, but I could not shake the fear that he was going to judge me as soon as he realized I was Muslim.

Upon discussion with many of my peers, I learned that many members of the Muslim community resonate with this hesitancy to obtain counseling services. The current state of the media has shaped many negative connotations towards the Muslim community. Thus, many Muslims have to navigate interactions sparked by these negative connotations, adding to the stressors of daily life. This does not indicate the strength of one’s faith or the confidence they have in their religion. However, there are nuances of daily life that members of the Muslim community encounter that contribute to their mental health. Constantly being told or chastised by others for your choices regarding the hijab (whether you wear it, how you wear it, etc.) can be a frustrating experience because it is such a personal part of one’s journey. Waking up to news of a mosque shooting across the world may make one question whether this would spark further violence in their own community: are they no longer safe going about their daily routine? Witnessing a lack of awareness towards Muslim concentration camps may make one question whether the world actually cares about the injustices towards this community. These events constantly take a toll on the well-being of Muslims around the world, so how does a non-Muslim counselor even begin to understand these concerns and how they apply to the already present stressors of life?

At this time, Muslim representation in counseling and mental health services is especially important to provide the best level of support to members of the Muslim community. In general practice, people tend to be more comfortable with counselors/healthcare providers who share some sense of identity with them. In the same way, Muslims may feel more understood by a counselor who understands their beliefs, acknowledges the effects of stigma towards their religion, and can work towards addressing those concerns. This can be implemented through increasing Muslim representation in this field or through establishing trainings on how to address the needs of this community. Hopefully this will encourage more members of the Muslim community to reach out to counseling services, potentially allowing for further Muslim representation in the field and working towards addressing the stigma of using mental health resources.

Illustration by Natee127/Getty Images

Mental Health Resources in Austin for Muslims:

Sarah Shah, Licensed Professional Counselor-Associate: www.healwithsarahshah.com; IG: @healwithsarahshah
Rawand Abdelghani, Licensed Social Worker and Mental Health Clinician: IG: @hopewithrawand
Safa Institute, non-profit organization for connecting muslims with mental health resources: IG: @safainstitute

Featured Image: Photographed by Nadia Correia

Period Poverty is a Public Health Crisis in Low-Resource Communities

by Faiza Sarwar · Feb 1, 2021

Menstrual hygiene management has gained recognition around the world as an important public health issue. Women in low and middle-income countries are often subjected to shame, isolation, and discrimination related to their menstrual cycle. Communities that are not educated about menstruation can view it as a taboo topic, and this lack of awareness can make it more likely for women to struggle in their transition and maintenance of periods. For instance, women in such communities often have to resort to unhygienic and unsafe practices to manage their monthly cycle. Through Women’s Relief Initiative, a nonprofit organization, we were able to contact women in Guinea, a country in West Africa that has struggled with period poverty, to learn more about how women are socially, emotionally, and academically impacted by global menstrual health inequities.

According to the women in Guinea, there is limited availability and access to a variety of menstrual products in their communities. They explained that there is some access to commercial sanitary pads in the capital, but products like tampons are not very popular, and other kinds of menstrual products have not reached the market yet. They elaborated that many girls cannot afford the available sanitary pads and have to resort to towels or pieces of old bed sheets as alternatives. Due to low availability and accessibility, these alternatives have become common practice to avoid paying for expensive products. However there are problems associated with these alternatives including discomfort and friction burns on inner thighs due to chafing from wet non-absorbent material. There can also be difficulties with disposal or washing of these reusable materials. Girls in the village have even less access to the products because the nearest market is miles away and only carries the products once a week. In resource-poor countries, there are many challenges that arise from inadequate menstrual hygiene management including “teasing by peers when accidental menstrual soiling of clothes occurs; poor familial support; lack of cultural acceptance of alternative menstrual products; limited economic resources to purchase supplies; inadequate water and sanitation facilities at school; menstrual cramps, pain, and discomfort; and lengthy travel to and from school, which increases the likelihood of leaks/stains.”

A Guinean woman explained how she and her sisters did not receive any education regarding menstrual hygiene or use of menstrual products. Sex education is also limited, a possible byproduct of the culture of the community labeling menstruation as a taboo topic. Many girls in the community do not know what a period is until they experience it on their own. This leaves many girls unprepared for their first period, often “hav[ing] bad experiences…and suffer[ing] humiliation if it happens in school.” Furthermore, many of the girls in the community are not initially aware of certain long-term effects of periods, which can make self-care during this transition difficult. “I wish I knew that periods [were] irregular…especially when it’s just starting out….and that [experiencing different moods] when on my cycle [is] completely normal,” said one of the Guinean women.

There are noticeable trends regarding how girls are negatively impacted by the lack of awareness and resources for periods in low-resourced communities. Many girls who have high academic rankings in their schools often do poorly in secondary school. The women in Guinea explain how this is due to the fact that many girls fall behind as they struggle to adapt to their periods. Since there has been no system implemented in schools to ease this transition, girls who struggle in school due to this transition are taken out of school by their parents with the intention of getting them married.

When asked what discriminatory attitudes about menstrual cycles exist in the community, we were told that “taboo culture makes it seem like menstrual blood is not a natural thing, but a curse.” Limited awareness and education about menstrual blood allows this belief to persist and dictate social norms. Many women who do not have products to control their menstrual flow end up isolated from society. One way to address this problem is to have “men … be involved and learn about the natural process of the period,” said one Guinean woman.

The Women’s Relief Initiative (WRI) is a nonprofit organization trying to bridge these gaps in resources and education. WRI works to provide sanitary aid that empowers women, sustains the environment, and uplifts under-resourced communities. This mission was initiated in Fall of 2018 by four Guinean students and one Senegalese student at the University of Texas at Austin: Kadija Balde, Mamadou Balde, Fatoumata Diallo, Jenab Camara, and Aminata Toure. They decided that there was not enough advocacy for period poverty for the people of Guinea. The group recognized the privilege of accessible sanitary menstrual products in the United States, and wanted to extend this accessibility to Guinea.

The Women’s Relief Initiative “hopes to ensure that women in under-resourced communities are aware and educated on topics surrounding their menstruation,” said Diallo. Their vision for the future is to prioritize the advocacy and allocation of resources to those who menstruate, hoping to expand beyond Guinea. “We hope to also work with our partners around the world in the fight towards eradicating period poverty,” Diallo said.

By ensuring that more women are educated about their menstrual cycles and have access to menstrual products, WRI hopes that women in low-resource communities will be able to better care for themselves on and off their cycles, decrease their use of unsanitary alternatives, and lower their risk of infection. In addition, better access to menstrual care could have positive effects on education and academics in these communities. WRI hopes their efforts will allow women to feel better equipped and empowered to focus on their education. Through lower rates of disease and higher accessibility to menstrual products, more women are projected to continue their education, decreasing the rates of childhood marriage and allowing these women to further educate their own children.

Diallo reflects on her WRI journey and all the work they have done: “My motto is ‘striving to leave the world a better place than I found it,’ and I am beyond grateful at the fact that [the] Women’s Relief Initiative allows me to fulfill that motto in the best way that I can.”

This piece was written in collaboration with Women’s Relief Initiative, a nonprofit organization working to fight period poverty in under-resourced communities across the globe.

You can learn more about period poverty here.

Featured Illustration by Jeannie Phan

Double Standards in the Workplace and Maternity Leave

by Faiza Sarwar · Jan 5, 2021

“We expect women to work like they don’t have children and raise children as if they don’t work”

I stumbled across this quote from Amy Westervelt while mindlessly scrolling through Instagram. I started thinking about the truth behind this — how from a young age, women are expected to plan around balancing a work-life and home-life. As I shadowed healthcare providers, I often found myself automatically considering whether I could fit in a family into the lifestyle that these doctors have adopted. I realized that I was already envisioning how my career would be impacted by having children, a reality that many women have to navigate through. Many women who envision a family in their future are subject to societal pressures regarding childbearing and rearing.

Double Standards in the Workplace

This expectation causes women to seem less desirable as candidates for certain positions due to the assumption that they may get pregnant or prioritize family over their career. On the other hand, men are often expected to prioritize work as the “provider of the family.” Thus, a man who is aggressive in business and puts work ahead of family is praised for qualities congruent with societal constructs of masculinity. As a result of this divisive mindset, women are considered less valuable in the workforce, evidenced by oppressive norms such as the wage gap or maternity leave policies.

Problems with Maternity Leave Policy

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires companies to protect someone’s job for up to 12 weeks after childbirth or adoption. The law does NOT require that they are paid for that time off, which most companies use to their advantage. This act is applicable to men and women, but if both guardians work for the same company then they have 12 weeks total between the both of them. Even with this accumulated time, 12 weeks is not enough to adapt to the responsibilities of having a child. A longer leave can improve infant and maternal health, so how do women navigate the pressure of coming back so soon?

A trick that many women have reported using is saving up vacation and sick days to add on to the 12 weeks, so that they get extra time off when needed. Another tactic when considering a job includes waiting until they receive an offer to mention any intention on getting pregnant. After an offer is received, they explain how they do not immediately plan to get pregnant, but desire to stay with the company long term and would like to gain more information on parental leave policies. Now, the offer is extended based on skill, and information can still be obtained regarding parental leave policies so that the woman can make the best career decision for herself. This strategy mitigates corporate maternity discrimination and affords women the freedom to accept or deny a company’s offer based on their parental leave policy.

After new mothers return from maternity leave, they are faced with a plethora of new problems that cause nearly one-third of workers with these responsibilities to quit and stay home. Most mothers come to work and feel an expectation to work as though nothing had changed. Despite the fact that they spent weeks out of office and may be struggling to handle a major life transition, women go to work and strive to prove that they are capable of meeting discriminatory and unforgiving corporate expectations. They also have to consider if working is cost effective compared to childcare bills, if they would want a babysitter for such a young child, or if they would even be able to focus on work when their newborn child is at home. When a man takes care of his child and works, he is considered a hero by his coworkers. Meanwhile women carry the burden of expectation, that they were meant to be a homemaker and they should not be complaining or slacking if they are going to choose to work as well.

Well this sounds like a lose-lose situation…what should professional communities do about it?

According to the Goldman Sachs’ Global Markets Institute, women who leave the workforce for five years to raise children lose 20 percent of their earnings potential despite the fact that this short time period is just one-eighth of their working lifetime. This further exemplifies how big of a decision women make when they decide to leave their jobs for their children. How do we address the many factors that influence women to leave their jobs?

If you work with a new mother, check in on them periodically. The stress of jumping back into the pressure of work while completing the new responsibilities of a mother is a lot, so offering help and support once in a while can go a long way. If you are an employer of a new mother, work to make the environment and workload supportive of her transition into motherhood. Consider if the workplace has nearby childcare or a flexible schedule.

Whether or not you are planning to become a mother in the future, it is important to speak to local representatives about the concerns of maternal leave policy. This means working towards making Texas one of the states that supports paid-leave for these new parents. Advocating for such policy changes can create a shift in mindset to where women are not less valued in the workplace. Every individual is valuable in every aspect of their life. Working mothers are invaluable in both their workspaces and their homes. Professional spheres should act accordingly by creating flexible and supportive environments for them.

Featured Image by Julianna Brion

Kicking Acne in the Ac-knee’s

by Faiza Sarwar · Sep 2, 2020

Whether you are watching a cute makeup tutorial, jogging along a workout video, or procrastinating by learning the best ways to study, you are bound to come across an ad with “the best acne cream” and a series of before and afters. The real question is, what are easy, cost-efficient ways of getting rid of acne?

Looking in the mirror, I know every time one pimple starts to go away, others appear in its place — a never ending battle. Searching for treatments for acne are not just cosmetic. Acne can be very painful when severe, can lead to permanent scarring, and can cause emotional distress. The first steps are to understand that you are not alone, and identify the cause of your acne.

Acne is the most common skin condition in the U.S., frequently found on the face, back, neck, chest, and shoulders because these areas have the most oil glands. Various types of acne include whiteheads (closed clogged pores), blackheads (open clogged pores), papules (small red bumps), and pimples (papules with pus at the tips). Acne can appear at any age, but is common in teenagers due to hormonal changes. Females and people using medications that contain corticosteroids, androgens, or lithium are more susceptible to acne due to hormonal changes as well.

Causes of acne include excess oil production, hair follicles being clogged by oil and dead skin cells, bacteria, and excess activity of androgens (a male steroid hormone). Acne can also be aggravated by excess carbs (like your college bagel and chips diet), chocolate (like your go-to exam season stress-snack) and chronic stress (because stress hormones send oil glands into overdrive)! Additionally, constant contact with dirty phones, tight helmets or rough backpacks can also aggravate the skin and cause acne. Finally, the one cause that nobody likes to hear — genetics. Just like your blue eyes or brown hair, family history does influence whether or not you’re prone to acne.

So what can we do to get rid of acne and prevent further breakouts?

Try to clean your skin with mild, oil-free soap to remove excess oil and dirt. (Do NOT scrub your skin, as this will aggravate the acne areas. Be gentle.)
Shampoo your hair regularly and keep it out of your face. Bangs may cover the acne, but it will make it worse!
Do not touch, squeeze or pick at the pimples, because this will allow bacteria to spread and oils to seep in. You are not Dr. Pimple Popper!
Avoid makeup that contains oil.
Wash your pillowcases and anything that touches the acne-prone skin.
Remove makeup and clean your skin before bed. Do not recycle your late night look for the next morning, your skin will thank you for it!
Shower after you exercise, there are other ways to glow!
Eat a healthy diet (minimize refined sugar and avoid excess carbohydrates).

So now you know the main causes, preventions, and treatments for acne. If you have acne-prone skin, be sure to practice proper skin care techniques! Take a few minutes out of your busy day to follow these tips, so you can skip those acne cream ads with ease.

Featured Image: Gabriella Cetrulo

Democratic Healthcare Policies in the 2020 Election

by Faiza Sarwar · Jan 30, 2020

Welcome to the new year, friends!

Yesterday, as I watched Elizabeth Warren empower her fellow female democratic candidate in the last debate, I thought of you all. In this day and age, health and policy are often times inseparable, so it is important that we stay informed about the policies that could affect our healthcare coverage and access. A couple of years ago, Jimmy Kimmel hosted a segment where he asked locals if they preferred Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act (spoiler alert: they are the same thing). Alas, most people chose the latter. Thinking back to the second hand embarrassment of watching that episode, I wanted our empowering readers to be informed voters and advocates for the upcoming election. Thus, here is a summary of the healthcare policies that the democratic candidates of 2020 advocate for:

Image: NPR

There are three broad approaches to healthcare in the 2020 election. The single-payer system (Medicare for All), the public option backers, and those advocating for a mix of the two. Here is a list of the candidates and what healthcare plan they hope to implement if elected:

SANDERS advocates for Medicare for All, a system that eliminates private insurance. The single entity that would pay for healthcare is the federal government. Coverage would expand to cover all people, including benefits that are not covered by current Medicare, such as long-term care. Deductibles, coinsurance, co-pays and surprise medical bills would be prohibited. Sanders plans to fund this policy through an employer-side payroll tax, which is a tax based off of the salary of the employee. He claims there should be no limits on abortion from the federal goverment.

WARREN also backs Medicare for All. She would fund it with higher taxes on the wealthy, and no new taxes for the middle class. Compared to Sander’s funding plan, Warren hopes to fund Medicare for All through employer contributions. This means that companies with over 50 employees calculate current average health insurance spending and pay 98 percent of that to the government. Thus, there is no direct tax to middle class health insurance consumers. She hopes to invest in federal funding to help tackle the opioid crisis, and plans to strengthen healthcare in rural communities through higher reimbursements to rural hospitals. She claims there should be no limits on abortion from the federal goverment, and she wants to repeal funding restrictions on abortion while preventing states from passing laws to restrict abortion access.

BENNET supports Medicare X, a plan expanding Obamacare and offering low-cost health insurance choices for people and small businesses. This plan provides another health insurance option that people could buy, starting from rural areas and slowly expanding until everyone has the option to use it. He claims there should be no limits on abortion from the federal goverment.

BIDEN hopes to expand Obamacare, adding a public health insurance option like Medicare. He plans to allow a premium-free option for those that would fall under Medicaid in certain states that do not recognize its current expansion. Biden’s stance on abortion has changed over time, the most recent indication being his vote on a late-term abortion ban in 2003.

BUTTIGIEG has a “Medicare for All Who Want It” plan where Americans can buy into the public plan. Similar to the Biden plan, those in states that refused to adopt the Medicaid expansion will be covered. He plans to keep private insurance around because he believes the public plan will influence private insurers to lower prices. If this does not happen, the plan will naturally become Medicare for All. He would reimburse providers for providing free care. He claims there should be no limits on abortion from the federal goverment.

DELANEY wants to keep private insurance and Medicare in tact, adding a public option for consumers under 65.

GABBARD supports Medicare for All, but also wants to keep private insurance — making her stance unclear. She claims there should be no limits on abortion from the federal goverment.

STEYER also wants a public insurance option, hoping to naturally drive out private insurers without forcing the public option on consumers.

YANG advocates for a transition to Medicare for All through subsidized public insurance. He wants to keep private insurance in tact, but hopes to provide most of the funding through the federal government. He claims there should be no limits on abortion from the federal goverment.

KLOBUCHAR also supports the public insurance option. She wants to prioritize mental health through early interventions and advocates for increased funding for schools and physicians to implement such efforts. She believes in implementing limits on abortion in the third trimester unless the woman’s health is at risk.

BLOOMBERG wants a Medicare-like public option administered by the federal government. This plan would be paid for by consumer premiums.

PATRICK advocates for a competitive public insurance option that is modeled after Medicare.

The democratic candidates all have a goal for decreasing healthcare prices, whether it’s a single payer system, public option or a mix of the two. They also want to decrease drug prices through various tactics, such as importing cheaper drugs internationally, revoking branded drug patents, or allowing Medicare negotiations with pharmaceutical companies.

Now that you are more informed about the health policies of our 2020 democratic candidates, you can handle any debate discussion, interview, or talk-show host that may come your way! Be sure to stay updated on the policies of the candidates as the election draws near. Consider what policies you would want to implement if you were president, and while you wait for your term in office, vote for the candidate supporting your policies because your vote matters.

Art by: Milo Mars

Golden Warnings for Golden Hour: The Importance of Wearing Sunscreen

by Faiza Sarwar · Sep 22, 2019

Last week, after a long day of walking from class-to-class on my large college campus, I finally made it to my air-conditioned apartment complex and found my friend waiting by the elevator. Suddenly aware of my large sweat stains, I laughed and passed a comment about how “it’s so hot that I probably sweat my sunscreen off!” My friend laughed and talked about how she didn’t really wear sunscreen. This got me thinking about how wearing sunscreen is not something that is seriously emphasized, often only mentioned in passing remarks, especially for college students walking in the heat.

The Science-y Stuff: How does sunscreen help me anyway?

You’ve probably heard of UV Rays — the electromagnetic radiation that comes from the sun and tanning beds. There are actually two types of them: UV-A and UV-B, both of which cause sunburns and potentially, skin cancer. UV-A has a longer wavelength and is not absorbed by the ozone layer, so it penetrates deeply into our skin directly! This leads to skin aging, wrinkles and a weakened immune system (it’s basically making you look old and attacking your bodyguard). UV-B is partially blocked by the ozone layer, but is more responsible for burning your top layer of skin (the red, blotchy, painful sunburn!) These are the two types of radiation that sunscreen protects us from by combining inorganic ingredients that reflect the rays, and organic ingredients that absorb the rays and turn them into heat. The SPF number you see on sunscreen bottles show you how well the formula protects from the UV-B rays, while sunscreen bottles labeled “broad-spectrum protection” are the ones that help with UV-A protection.

So, what are some common misconceptions people have about wearing sunscreen?

Sunscreen is only necessary for when most of my body is exposed to sunlight like when I’m tanning or swimming.
I don’t need to wear sunscreen when it’s cloudy or cold outside because there isn’t much sunlight out!
I need vitamin D, and sunscreen will prevent me from getting my daily dose of sunshine.
The darker my skin-pigment, the less I need sunscreen because melanin protects me from getting sunburnt.
My makeup products have spf in it, so that’s enough to protect my face from the sun.
It is better to wear sunscreen than cover my skin with my clothes.
My sunscreen is water-proof, the commercial said so!

What’s the truth?!

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, skin cancer is the most common cancer in the US, with women having the greatest increase in cases. Before the age of 50, women are two times more likely to get skin cancer than men.

The UV rays will come into contact with you when you least expect it — through car windows, through water, and even through your clothes! You need to wear sunscreen when you are going on a long drive and walking to class, not just when you are out tanning at the beach. Also, having darker-toned skin does not mean that you are protected! UV rays cause skin cells to release pigment, which is harder to see on darker skin tones. Melanin may somewhat diffuse UV-B rays, but that does not protect from skin cancer or the long hours spent in the sun. Also, UV-A rays can still cause wrinkles and aging-skin for those who do not wear sunscreen, regardless of your skin tone.

Sunscreen does not prevent you from having your daily dose of Vitamin D. Sunlight can go through clothes, and you only need about 5-15 minutes of sunshine a day for the appropriate amount of Vitamin D that you need. Therefore, when your sunscreen starts wearing off, before you go reapply it (which we will discuss later) you will get those essential amounts of sun-time.

Makeup is only a tiny layer of protection against the harmful effects of UV rays. The small amount of SPF in the drop-size amount of color- correcting cream you use will not provide as much protection as sunscreen. In addition to sunscreen, long brim hats and light covering-clothing are an extremely helpful extra layer of protection against these rays.

Sunscreen is never 100% waterproof (if it was, how would you wash it off?). When you are swimming, UV rays can still get to your skin even if you’re in water. The rays can also reflect off of the water onto any areas of skin that are not submerged in water.

Tip: When you go for a swim, reapply the sunscreen afterwards, and let it absorb into your skin for about 10-15 minutes before jumping back in!

So if water can’t protect you from UV rays … neither can water vapor aka clouds! No matter how cloudy or cold it is, the sun rays are still there. Just because you can’t see them doesn’t mean they can’t see you.

AH! This is kind of scary, what do I do?

Apply sunscreen (Forbes says a shot-glass full) 15-30 minutes before going out, and reapply (no matter how high the SPF, how cloudy the sky, or what skin-tone you are) every two hours to the best of your ability!
Apply sunscreen and/or try to cover as much of your body that may be exposed to the sun as you can — yes, even your feet with the sandal tan lines.
Put a little bottle in your backpack or purse and set a reminder on your phone to help you remember to apply sunscreen throughout the day. .
Try to find a full/broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect your skin from a large range of UV light (since you now know about UV-A and UV-B!).
Since sunlight can still get to covered areas, if you find a suspicious looking spot somewhere you are not sure about, seek professional medical help!

Finally, tell your friends! You do not have to give them a long, drawn-out explanation, but make sure they know the importance of sunscreen in their daily lives. You may be out here shining brighter than the sun and all, but that does not mean you don’t need to protect your beautiful skin.

How to Navigate Social Media in a Healthy Way

by Faiza Sarwar · Sep 14, 2019

Social media platforms are great ways to keep in touch and stay updated on important people in our lives — but how many of your 623 followers do you keep up with in real life? Social media is an entertaining, but dangerous black hole that we can find ourselves falling into.

After mindlessly swiping through my feed, double-tapping or swiping up on my friend’s pictures, I find myself face-to-face … well, face-to-screen, with many social media “influencers.” These influencers are usually extremely fit, well-dressed, photogenic people who get to explore many areas of the world with their bright smiles. Often my first reaction is, “Wow, they are really living life!” Then I look down at myself and the homework on my desk, immediately comparing my body and lifestyle to that of the influencer.

Not only do negative emotions arise from us excessively scrolling through social media, but we contribute to this cycle! After seeing other people’s pictures on instagram, I found myself constantly finding places to take cute pictures with friends. After going out to take an infinite number of photos with various poses, we would go inside and stare at our phones, getting input from each other about which picture was most “post-worthy” and then call it a day. In this situation, we may have enjoyed each other’s company, but did we have any meaningful interaction? Doesn’t matter. Everyone who double-taps my picture will think “Wow, they are really living life!” Ring a bell? This endless cycle encourages other people to go out and take, edit, and post more pictures, limiting meaningful social interactions that are important for our emotional and physical health. If we feel so negatively impacted by social media, why don’t we delete it? In the past, whenever I’ve wanted to delete an account, I’d find myself worrying about missing out on what other people are doing. My first thought would be that I wouldn’t be “in the loop”; I felt like I needed social media to stay up to date. Society has integrated social media so deeply into our lives that we feel incomplete without it, truly believing we cannot live without knowing what all of our followers are doing.

So what are the main problems associated with social media?

We don’t realize these “influencers” we idolize have trainers and makeup artists, while their photos go through photoshop and some major editing
We never know what someone is really going through by looking at their feed/timelines. Commenting on their posts is not the same as talking to them one-on-one.
Often times, insecurities regarding one’s body-type, looks, or lifestyle arise from constantly comparing our daily lives to the idealized versions we see on social media.
We get caught up in the numbers. We dwell on how many likes or comments we will get on a post, and we post what we think will get the most attention from our followers, instead of posting what we want.

How do we navigate social media in a healthy way?

Keep in touch with people, but outside of the app! If someone is on your mind, hit them up. Ask them to a cup of coffee and find out how they are really doing — not what their captions say.
When hanging out with people, avoid the temptation to take pictures of every cute moment (even if it’s “just for the mems”). Each second you spend staring at the camera is time you are taking away from actually enjoying yourself. Know that having fun without everyone knowing is still having fun; you don’t need a photo on instagram to prove this.
1. Now, I understand that this step takes a lot of work (even for me). It’s important to take baby steps. If you want to take pictures of cool things you do, go for it (but in moderation)! Keep the pictures to yourself or to people who you think would gain something from the interaction. You are going out to have fun for yourself —not for others.
Limit your social media time! If you want to check your socials, set a timer and stick to it or schedule a specific time to check it. Turn your social media notifications off so that you are not tempted to open it every time your screen lights up. That way during your social media time, you can answer all your notifications at once. Trust me, if someone needed to reach you immediately, it would not be a 2 second snap!
Be aware of how you feel with what people are posting. If you find yourself feeling negative emotions like jealousy or insecurity when looking at someone’s feed, unfollow them or mute their posts. Don’t be afraid to go on an unfollowing spree. You deserve to look at things that make you happy! Social media platforms often have algorithms where your feed will pop up with posts based on what you like or share, so share things that you want to see more or things that make you feel good!

Social media is a form of entertainment. You can have fun with it in moderation, but when you feel your hand start to cramp up from scrolling, swiping, and double-tapping, remember these tips! You are beautiful and deserve to be happy, even if it takes looking away from the screen to realize that.

Art by Anna Schmidt