Anxiety is one of the top culprits that infiltrate and dominate the minds of college students. According to the American Health Association, 63% of college students in the United States felt overwhelming anxiety in the past year. Such a percentage demonstrates that more than half of college students are struggling. The reasoning for incredibly overwhelming anxiety can be due to school work of course, but research also found a strong connection with electronic communication, especially social media.
The Psychology Department at Michigan State University conducted a study where they oversaw over 300 undergraduate students’ social media use and utilized questionnaires. As a result, the students who multitasked conveyed higher rates of depression and stronger feelings of anxiety. Yet, this does not necessarily mean social media is the cause of anxiety, this simply shows the two are linked. It is uncertain what the root cause or causes of anxiety are.
In terms of reducing anxiety, there is the option of exercise. When the human body begins to panic and anxiety levels increase, they are in their fight or flight response. To stop this response, fitness is effective because it helps balance the neurochemicals in the body. However, a lot of college students lack time for exercise or do not prioritize it. A part of this reason is not just because of school work, but again it is due to the digital age these students are living in.
Social media consumes the minds of college students leaving them with low-self esteem, sleep irregularities, emotional issues, and anxiety. Social media houses the opportunity to compare themselves to others not only in terms of physical appearance but lifestyle as well. This causes students to portray a being they are not.
Based on an article by the Huffington Post, the director of the Columbia University Clinic For Anxiety and Related Disorders, Dr. Anne Marie Albano, concluded that social media can become a “counterfeit reality,” especially for those who do not want to face their real-life circumstances.
Since the media is so prominent, the investment students put into social media and their telephones can go towards something positive and liberating. A way of pursuing this can be by downloading the mobile application Mind Ease: Anxiety Relief. This app was created to give its users peace of mind. This project created by Spencer Greenberg made sure this application helps users feel better fast and provide evidence-based exercises.
Mind Ease: Anixety Relief is tailored to its user by asking a series of questions when first downloading and then supplies multiple exercises that help relieve stress. To check on improvement users can see their progress when reflecting on the messages they write to themselves. Mind Ease also does the work by automatically tracking progress and measuring the state of mind of the user before and after doing an exercise. Some examples of these exercises consist of identifying triggers, deep breathing, and muscle relaxation. Additionally, there is the instant help feature that users can take advantage of by clicking the “Calm Me” button.
College students can truly take advantage of this app and use their cellphones to better their mental health rather than diminish it by consuming social media. Not only is the app convenient to use in the media age but is $5.99 a month and $39.99 a year. Mind Ease has found that 91% of their users have reduced negative feelings while or after using their app. This percentage surely gives hope to those anxiety-filled college students.
“Get Mind Ease, Feel Better,” Mind Ease: Anxiety Relief helps users build a better mind.
Spartan Echo 