Family whatsapp groups can actually affect mental health

Apart from spreading information related to trivial to serious matters, it turns out that family chat groups like on WhatsApp and other social media can interfere with your mental health. What's more, when the group contains large families who have different mindsets.

In fact, how can family groups on WhatsApp and other platforms affect the mental health of their members?

Family WhatsApp groups can affect mental health

Have you ever felt uncomfortable when you were in a family WhatsApp group because their conversation topics were worrying? Whether it's about news that the truth is not yet known, aka hoax news or topics that are very sensitive to discuss, such as racism and religious issues.

As a result, young people tend to ignore messages in their own family groups because they are lazy to argue with their parents. In fact, not a few of them admit that family WhatsApp groups indirectly affect mental health.

According to a study from the American Psychological Association, frequently checking messages or e-mails on a cellphone or computer is related to a person's stress level. What is consumed on the screen of the cellphone or monitor are materials that cause anxiety to mental disorders.

In the study that surveyed these participants, the researchers made points 1-10. The number 1 means little or no stress and the number 10 is heavy stress.

As a result, the average number of participants who answered the survey was 5.3. Meanwhile, those who rarely check their cellphones have lower points, namely 4.4.

Why are family WhatsApp groups including chat groups that affect mental health? The reason is, family groups sometimes cause uncomfortable feelings for their users. For example, the group did not share in saying happy birthdays or mourning.

In family groups, sometimes many members are happy to share information on things that young people may think are not important. Now, it is very tiring for the other group participants to ignore it because they feel bad. As a result, it is not uncommon for the family WhatsApp group to be read to affect your mental health.

The conditions are different from the office conversation group. You don't have to feel bad about ignoring it because sometimes it's not part of your job. So, the stress level is different too.

What about the spread of fake news in family groups?

In fact, one of the factors that causes family WhatsApp groups to affect one's mental health is fake news. As previously mentioned, hoaxes or fake news are often spread by family members on WhatsApp.

For example, during the general election period, it was not uncommon for the news that one of the potential mates to be dropped circulated on groups or social media. Among the hundreds of stories that were distributed, the number of stories that contained lies was quite a lot.

Reading hoax news, aka fake news, can actually affect mental health even if you only read it from social media. Reporting from Psycom, with a lot of misinformation considered the truth, not a few people experience stress as a result of a news headline.

Hoaxes are designed to manipulate public opinion, especially those who rarely check the truth in other sources. In addition, fake news often creates feelings of anger, suspicion, and anxiety, which can affect your thinking.

What's more, when the news from the WhatsApp group turns out to be fake it also creates feelings of anger and frustration. This condition usually applies to readers who feel helpless when faced with fake news to manipulate public opinion.

Therefore, when you receive fake news or hoax news that is spread on the family WhatsApp group, it is not uncommon for you to feel frustrated and your mental health is disturbed.

Tips for maintaining mental health in the era of technological advances

Not only family groups on WhatsApp can affect your mental health, it turns out that other social media also have the same effect. Avoid groups chat maybe it will be easy, but what about other social media?

Here are some things you can do to maintain mental health in an era of technological advances.

Reduces usage time

One of the steps that need to be done to maintain mental health and avoid the group chat social media is reducing usage time.

Reducing social media use by 10 to 30 minutes a day has been shown to reduce levels of anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders.

That said, you don't need to drastically reduce your use of social media to maintain your mental health.

Distract

During a “fast” from social media, it is not uncommon for the desire to re-open the phone because of not doing anything. Therefore, maintaining mental health in order to avoid WhatsApp groups and other platforms can be done by distracting.

Distracting attention from the desire to open social media can be done in a number of ways, such as:

• spending time with family and friends, such as meeting in person
• take up a hobby or find a new hobby, such as painting or reading
• filling time with healthy things, like exercising regularly
• calms and relaxes the mind surrounded by nature

However, family Whatsapp groups do not always have a negative impact on the mental health of their members. Sometimes, you can get the benefits of social media for health, both getting information and communicating with other people.