There are plenty of headlines claiming new tech innovations are contributing to stress, anxiety, and depression. While it's true that there are some negative effects of our increasingly digital lives, we rarely talk about how they're positively contributing to our mental health and psychological well-being.
In fact, many tech companies and developers are working to help us be happier people. Skeptical? Consider these 6 ways you can use innovations to improve your outlook and become a more joyful person overall.
1. Connect with others remotely
Social media gets a lot of flak for forcing people to confront and compare themselves to the carefully-curated images others project. While overusing platforms as Instagram and Facebook may contribute to feeling more isolated, it can also serve as an outlet for decreasing loneliness and allowing people to engage with others. This is especially true when people use it along with in-person connections.
One study even found that young adults and teenagers with depression use social media to connect with others when they're feeling lonely, to express themselves creatively, or to gain inspiration, with 30% saying it helped them feel better.
2. Find like-minded people and activities
Connecting with others remotely can certainly help you feel less isolated, but face-to-face interactions are often even better. Fortunately, tech can help you do this, too.
There are many tools that enable you to engage with others digitally but encourage you to ultimately meet in person - just look at the abundance of dating apps out there. There are also platforms like Meetup for finding others in your city or community who like to do the same types of activities you do.
3. Give back
Did you know that plenty of research shows that giving back to others can actually boost your happiness? When you help others, you feel better about yourself. Now, it's easier than ever before to volunteer, donate, and contribute to your community and those in need. If you're a fitness enthusiast, try the app Charity Miles, which automatically donates money to charity based on the number of miles you run, walk, or perform other types of exercise.
If you'd like to volunteer, there are many local platforms that help you find opportunities, such as the website New York Cares for people to work with children, assist with clothing drives, and more in New York City.
4. Find your zen
Meditation is gaining popularity as a practice for helping you combat stress, anxiety, and depression, improve your mood, and achieve peace. This is partly thanks to the many accessible, often free or low-cost digital platforms with guided meditations and other routines. Headspace, for example, offers curated sessions for themes like better sleep, reduced stress, and healthy living.
5. Get therapy
Now, thanks to the magic of technology, you can even get therapy without even leaving the comfort of your home. With apps and other platforms such as Talkspace and Betterhelp, you can find therapists online and talk to them via live chat, phone, or video. Many of these services only include licensed therapists, and you can search for professionals with a range of specialties to find the best fit for you.
6. Monitor your happiness
It's actually possible to rewire your brain to be happier. Surprisingly or not, it takes a conscious effort to choose to be happy. And technology can help with this.
Track Your Happiness is an aptly-named app for...tracking your happiness. It started as a Harvard University scientific research project to find out what factors produce positive emotions in people. You'll receive questions about your emotions every day, and the app generates a report that helps you understand when you're feeling the happiest.
Or, consider using the Gratitude Happiness Journal, which encourages you to reflect on your day and think about the things for which you're grateful. Through the app, you can record your thoughts and receive positive affirmations.
At the end of the day, humans want to be happy. Often, it seems like it's just out of our reach. But thanks to new technological innovations, a positive outlook and contentment are all the more possible. Through social media, apps, websites, and other tools, we're able to connect with others, give back, achieve calm, and, ultimately, build happier lives.
