After experiencing road trauma, it can be tempting to watch videos or read lots of things about the event on social media. However, as we can’t control what others post, it is best to avoid or limit watching, listening, commenting or posting on social media, especially if when you do so it causes you distress.
Seeking out healthy support networks is an important step toward coping after road trauma, those impacted may find support through messages and connections on social media platforms. However, engaging in social media after a traumatic event, such as a car crash, can also be stressful and may trigger feelings of anxiety, and depression or even re-traumatise you.
Negative comments and rants, misinformation, trolling, and the sheer volume of content fuelling a conversation on social media can cause you more stress. In addition, it’s not uncommon to slip into habitual “doomscrolling” as a distraction from what is happening in your life.
If staying connected is important to you, there are a few steps you can take to prioritise your wellbeing. For example, pay close attention to your physical and emotional reactions. If you are having a strong negative response, and notice feeling stressed or anxious, it is probably a sign that you need to limit your exposure until your reactions ease and you feel you can cope.
For some, it might be reducing time spent or changing how you engage in your social media platforms; for others, it may require stepping away from all social media for a period of time.
If you are struggling to navigate social media after a road crash, here are some helpful tips that can help you moderate your social media use and not feel so anxious or stressed when you do use it.
- Set realistic boundaries for social media use: Decide on specific times or situations when you will not use social media, such as during school, work, meals or before bed.
- Set a daily time limit for social media platforms: Decide how much time you want to spend on social media each day and set a timer or use an app to track your usage.
- Disable notifications on social media platforms: Turn off notifications from social media apps to avoid distractions throughout the day.
- Check your security and privacy settings: Consider changing your settings to private, so only friends and family can see your profiles.
- Clean up your newsfeeds: Filter posts you don’t want to see or consider temporarily snoozing posts or hashtags.
- Unfollow accounts that are negatively impacting your social media experience.
- Delete social media apps from your mobile phone.
- If you sense an urge to check social media, find an alternative activity to start instead: such as walking the dog, engaging in another hobby or calling a friend.
- Allow yourself to use social media for specific purposes: such as professional networking or staying in touch with friends and family.
- Take a social media break: If you find that social media is becoming a source of stress or distraction, consider taking a break altogether for a while.
Even though social media can often be a helpful tool in helping you recover after road trauma, it can also become a stressful space during difficult and emotional times. Take care of your mental health and wellbeing by healthily navigating your social media use and being aware of your physical and emotional responses.
- Fantasia, A, Prybutok, G, Prybutok, V. The relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder and social media addiction: A qualitative study. Emerging Trends in Drugs, Addictions and Health 3. 2023 (3).
- Abdalla, S, Cohen, G, Tamrakar, S, Koya, S, Galea, S. Media exposure and the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder following a mass traumatic event: An In-silico experiment. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2021 (12).