Remedy for unnecessary stress and cortisol

"It's your life - feel free to control it yourself," says Michael Veit, security expert.

Social networks are changing the way people interact with each other. Scientists from Canada, for example, found that the stress hormone cortisol increases in young people with more than 300 Facebook friends. This, the researchers warn, can lead to depression later in life.

Contacts in online networks apparently have the same influence on our well-being as real ones. However, while hardly anyone in real life interacts with 300 people day in, day out, this number of friends is commonplace in social networks. That means stress above all. On the one hand. Properly "treated," however, many contacts can also have a positive effect on well-being.

Michael Veit, security expert at Sophos, lists five measures to protect against online stress:

 1. be nice, practice respect

According to the Canadian study, sharing intensively and positively with Facebook friends lowers cortisol levels again. According to the study, people who give their friends more likes and leave them nice comments are less stressed.

Unsocial behavior is quite widespread in social networks. Facebook users, for example, often stand out with reprimands, unobjective criticism, or inappropriate arrogance or know-it-all attitude. The same applies here as in all other areas of life - everyone has an influence on and helps determine how people treat each other.

Set a friendly and constructive example and do something for your own mental health and that of your online friends. Give likes, praise, and communicate in a factual and appreciative manner.

 2. block the flood of ads

Online and offline, ads can entertain, inform - or, in many cases, disturb. They flash, light up, and run incessantly, distracting users from their actual work or leisure activities. If the ads contain malware, there is another undesirable aspect.

Ad blockers offer a practical remedy. The small programs are available free of charge for every browser. They are easy to install, turn off the advertising noise and spread wonderful silence - at least from unwanted ads.

 3. use password manager

Forgotten a password again? Where was that piece of paper again? The daily struggle with passwords is exhausting and, on top of that, a source of errors that can easily give criminals access to personal data.

Using the same sophisticated password for all pages is a convenient but also dangerous approach - after all, you don't leave your car key outside so that you don't have to search for it. Password managers like Lastpass, 1Password or KeePass suggest secure passwords and remember them independently. They function like a virtual butler who accompanies you around the clock and opens all doors.

 4. log out

Put each activity in the right place and according to your own priorities. If you feel like chatting, reading emails, or catching up with friends, log in. If you don't want any of that, log out with confidence.

Don't let yourself be taken over by incoming emails, push messages from apps, icons, pop-ups, and whatever else is flashing and buzzing. It's your life - take control of it yourself.

The fear of missing out (also known as FOMO) is often unfounded. Being offline for a while may make life a little less convenient, but a little deceleration certainly doesn't lead to social media sideline.

 5. cherish and maintain doubts

Sure. The lives of other online people are all dazzling, spectacular and super great. Better than your own life. Right?

The truth is: posts whose creators portray themselves in a shining light and belittle others are not only impudent and often lies - they can also cause real harm to more sensitive souls. Behavioral researchers at the University of Utah have already studied the (false) conclusions we draw from the posts of our (largely unknown) Facebook friends.

According to the study, people who use Facebook and the like are all too ready to believe that others are happier and have a better life. In reality, however, they usually only have the better tricks up their sleeves. So, for once, don't believe everything you read and see.

For more on FOMO fears triggered by social media applications, see this Link