August is Family Fun Month, dedicated to families spending intentional time on enjoyable activities together. Families are busier nowadays, making finding quality time together challenging. It's rare for families to unplug and focus on spending time together.
Many people spend a significant amount of time on social media, looking for more friends and a larger following. However, the truth is that spending too much time on social media can make people feel lonelier. The American Journal of Health Promotion says there is a harmful cycle between loneliness and internet use. Lonely people spend more time on the internet, which makes them even lonelier. A study by Cigna, which surveyed twenty thousand people, found something unexpected about loneliness and age. While many think that loneliness increases as people get older, the study actually found that loneliness decreases as people get older. The survey responses indicate that individuals who are highly active on text-based social media platforms tend to have higher levels of social anxiety and perceive themselves as lonelier. In contrast, image-based social media can elicit positive biochemical responses through the exchange of "likes" and "loves," but it appears to have a limited impact on reducing feelings of loneliness. Consequently, it is the younger demographic who seem more absorbed in social media that self-report as the loneliest.
There are many ways to reduce excessive social media use and combat the potential loneliness it creates. Spending time with family and friends is a valuable way to break the cycle of loneliness and prolonged internet use. Finding time to focus on the family's well-being may involve helping to plan healthy meals, exercising with a friend or family member, and having social media-free family dinners or family movie time together. Perhaps, your child is an Operation Xcel student. Surely, they have stories to tell about their two-week intensive or 3-Steps Ahead Summer camp experiences that the busyness of the family’s day did not allow sharing with the family.
Although some have already returned to school, the traditional Guilford County school students return to school in less than two weeks. This is a great time to begin planning how to ensure that your student knows that home is the place where they will be acknowledged, affirmed, appreciated, and get the most likes and positive comments before they grab their bookbag to get on the bus! Start now to find a way to let your child know that at the end of the day, family is the best and most sustainable gift they could ever have! August is designated as Family Fun Month, providing an ideal opportunity for families to break the cycle of loneliness.
Families can make a pact to prioritize family time and intentionally unplug from social media for an hour, an evening, a day, a weekend, or at the same time every day. To start, find engaging activities that all family members can enjoy. Consider visiting the zoo or museum, attending a laser show or concert, hiking, swimming, going to a trampoline park, taking a beach trip, visiting an amusement park, or exploring any other creative ideas for family fun. Making family fun a regular habit will help it become more meaningful than the number of likes or the latest trend on social media. The key is to take the first step and keep the momentum going. Who knows? You may discover the truth nugget; family fun is a powerful antidote to loneliness.
May you enjoy Family Fun Month making memories and laughs that transcend lifetimes!
