International Tutors' Magazine April 2019 | Page 8

INTERNATIONAL TUTORS’ MAGAZINE
THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
BY KIMBERLY WONG
Do you feel lonely sometimes when you for meaningful social interaction rather
scroll through your friends’ latest Instagram than a self-promoting routine of clicking
posts? The food posts, the travel posts, the on phones and publishing new posts.
friend gathering posts. With just a few
clicks on social media, you can instantly Nowadays, we easily fall trap to a constant
know the whereabouts of your friends dilemma. We embrace the culture of
and their latest news. To a certain extent, individualism because everyone has their
the internet can alleviate loneliness with a own pace of life. We don’t want to be too
few updates, but it’s merely a temporary clingy to our friends and suffocate our
soothing method. Social media,
friendships. We need personal
Do
you
as flattering and glamorous as
space. And yet when we feel
it may seem, is mostly built feel lonely on lonely, we want our friends to be
up in the puff of vanity. The
very close and supportive. We
Instagram?
more you refresh the page, the
want to have someone to lean
more you get jealous of your
on, to share our deeper thoughts
friends’ social lives and compare your own and to talk about problems. But, then again,
life to what you see on the screen. Soon, everyone has their own problems to deal
you will be in the loop of social loneliness. with. So how can we find inner calm and
sense of fulfilment when we are lonely? Here
Recently, research in the Public Policy & are some great tips to help combat loneliness.
Aging Report showed that social isolation is
even unhealthier than smoking or obesity Seek comfort in yourself
(“The Potential Public Health Relevance Having confidence in yourself is what
of Social Isolation and Loneliness” by makes a person attractive and unique,
Julianna Holt-Lunstad, Volume 27, Issue both inside and outside. Appreciate your
4). Loneliness is also associated with worth and then reveal your true self to
higher risk of cardiovascular disease, others. There is no need for comparison
depression and stress. In today’s world full with your peers on social media because
of social media and online interactions, everyone is just living their own best lives.
it seems that we are reaching a kind of And that includes you! No matter how bad
loneliness epidemic, where we are craving you’re currently feeling, remember negative
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