Covid-19 stress causing many to change their social media habits: survey

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⇒ Issue #89 (In numerology, the number 89 is a building number, with  humanitarian objectives. Toronto's Skydome opened in '89.)
⇒ Confirmed Covid cases in Canada as of 08/05: 119,659*
⇒ Confirmed Covid fatalities in Canada as of 08/05: 9,005*
⇒ Worldwide Covid cases as of 08/05: 18,563,065*
⇒ Worldwide Covid fatalities as of 08/05: 701,085*

August 5, 2020—Good Wednesday morning. It's Chronicle assistant editor Dhiren Mahiban, here with your midweek edition of the Daily CurveFlattener. 

Photo credit: Lewis Ogden 

While I am a regular user of platforms such as Twitter to keep up to date on the latest Covid-19 news and other current events, a survey commissioned by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center showed more Americans are adjusting how they use their social media platforms during the pandemic. 

Many of the 2,000 participants surveyed cited stress from Covid-19, along with movements to end racial inequality and other divisive political issues, as reasons for taking a social media break. 

Although it may seem impossible to disconnect entirely from social media, some of the survey participants noted they had changed their habits in recent months. 

The survey found: 

• More than half (56 per cent) said their social media habits changed because of tensions surrounding current events this year.  
• Almost three in 10 (29 per cent) said their social media use has increased because of tensions surrounding events. 
• And one in five (20 per cent) said they have taken breaks from social media because of the tensions surrounding events. 

"Stepping away and reconnecting with reality offline is an important step to take for your mental health," said Dr. Ken Yeager, the director of the Stress, Trauma and Resilience Program at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, in a press release. "Being constantly immersed in this stressful environment and being overexposed to contentious or traumatic events can make you feel like the world is a less safe place to be. And because these stressors have persisted over a long period of time, it's wearing on people's ability to cope with that stress." 

Dr. Yeager offered the following tips for going on a social media diet:

• Reconnect with family and friends. Disconnect from your devices and stop scrolling on social media for a night. Instead, make plans with the people you care about, even if that’s a group Zoom call. An evening of friendly conversation can be a welcome break from social media.
• Create positive change in your community. Volunteer at a food bank, clean up a park or do anything that makes your neighbourhood a better place. Seeing the good that you and others in your community are doing can help you realize what’s truly important. 
• Use your power. Not only do you have the power of your vote, but you also have the power to voice your concerns and enact local change. Get involved in the issues that are important to you. Feeling like you’re part of the process can be empowering and calming.
• Talk about it. There can be a lot of misunderstandings in conversations about the biggest issues we are facing now, especially when they take place in social media comment sections. Talking to family and friends one-on-one about what is important to them and how they believe these issues affect them can help you understand where they’re coming from.

COVID CHRONICLE 08/05/2020

• A study published online ahead of print in the journal Obesity (August 4, 2020) found Body Mass Index (BMI) is associated with the development of severe coronavirus disease and the admission to intensive care units in African Americans. Researchers at Tulane University in New Orleans, who conducted the study, suggest that a lower threshold be considered for BMI than the current U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations that describe individuals with BMI greater than 40 as high risk for severe illness in Covid-19.
• The coronavirus and the imposition of the resulting lockdowns this year significantly raised mental health challenges, according to new research conducted at the University of Bath. The study published in the American Psychologist found the general public is struggling with uncertainty, more so than normal. Further, vulnerable groups are more anxious about their health. 
• An article published in The New England Journal of Medicine (July 30, 2020) found the clinical usefulness of tongue, nasal, or mid-turbinate samples collected by patients as compared with nasopharyngeal samples collected by health care workers for the diagnosis of Covid-19. The adoption of techniques for sampling by patients can reduce PPE use and provide a more comfortable patient experience. 

STORIES CHRONICLE IS WORKING ON TODAY

For an upcoming issue of The Chronicle of Neurology + Psychiatry, I will be following up on a study conducted at the University of British Columbia which found older adults 60 and older have fared better emotionally compared to young adults (18-39) and middle-aged adults (40-59) during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

RIGHT NOW I'M LISTENING TO... 


The July 28th episode of Two Writers Slinging Yang where host Jeff Pearlman chats with Esquire political blogger Charles P. Pierce about how one maintains their sanity while covering American politics 24/7. 

LATER WE'RE READING...

We're finishing up Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. The book chronicles Noah's unlikely path from South Africa to the desk of Comedy Central network's The Daily Show.

TONIGHT WE'RE EATING... 

We're working with leftovers of this spaghetti with sauteed chicken and grape tomatoes recipe for dinner tonight. 

AND HOW ARE YOU DOING?

Please make use of the comments section at the Daily CurveFlattener, to let us know what you're up to today. Or feel free to check in via LinkedIn, email, or your choice of connector. By all means, pass this newsletter along to your colleagues.

That's it. Stay in touch, stay safe. My colleague Jeremy Visser will be by tomorrow with your Thursday edition of the Daily CurveFlattener.