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6 Ways to Overcome Social Media Anxiety Disorder

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By Gideon Ayogu

Ever felt jealousy or discontentment due to the seemingly higher standards or jet-set lifestyle of other people on social media? You are probably suffering from Social Media Anxiety Disorder (SMAD), a condition described by the Research and Development Unit of Yudala –Nigeria’s pioneer online and offline e-commerce outfit – as one afflicting a growing number of young adults.

If you are on social media in any capacity, then you probably must have experienced SMAD, especially after being exposed to what other persons in your social network are up to.

According to Yudala, social media anxiety disorder is related to social anxiety, a mental illness which occurs when social media interferes with the mental and physical health of a person, causing one to feeling adequate, jealous, incompetent and unsatisfied. Admittedly, seeing a certain standard on social media can make anyone anxious. This feeling is referred to as social media anxiety.

Social media has grown in importance and today, plays a greater role in our daily lives. Indeed, the majority of people rely on their social media networks for a number of things including lifestyle habits, trends and social validation.

Unfortunately, we are in a world where everybody tries to put their best image forward online and, as humans, we tend to compare ourselves to the sometimes make-believe representation of others.

While social media is auseful way of connecting with people and a remarkable way of bridging the gap between lonelinessand companionship with just a click; it is important to exercise caution.

All that glitters is not gold. This age-long saying holds true especially on social media where a lot of people are guilty of excess show of materialism and flaunting fake lifestyles or standards, leaving the lead to feelings of loneliness, social anxiety and depression.

Yudala shares tips on how to cope withsocial media anxiety:

Admit the problem

Social Media Anxiety Disorder can be difficult to treat, considering the emphasis on social media networking as a model of success, especially in business.

The first step in treating social media anxiety is to identify the problem, admit it, understand it and try to solve it. Be honest about your social media usage and manage what you put on social media; avoid putting self-sabotaging comments of yourself in the hope of getting positive response to build your self-esteem.

Stop Comparing Yourself

Constant visits to social media platforms can make you feel like you haven’t accomplished a lot especially when you see the make-believe lifestyle of your social network.

Humans are insatiable and comparing yourself is inevitable but always try to do you as opposed to studying others.

The most important thing is to look back on your journey and compare with your current state; this will make you feel good about how far you’ve come because there will always be someone out there who is better than you.

Socialize More In Real Life

Nowadays, people are so addicted to social media that they focus more on holding their phones than talking and sharing their thoughts in person. But when your social media friends aren’t as responsive as normal, you may become anxious and start to feel lonely and that’s when social media anxiety sets in.

It is important to strengthen your real-life relationships because your social media friends won’t be there to make lemonades for you when life hands you lemons.

Take A Break

It is okay to take a social media break especially when you realize you are battling social media anxiety. Often, it is advisable to disengage from your social media platforms. Setting a specific social media time limit for yourself daily or weekly can be very helpful.

By doing this, you can then gradually shut off from it completely until you feel comfortable. While this may not be easy initially because of the attachment you may have,you will find an alternative way to keep yourself occupied over time.

Embrace Some Alone-Time

Having a quiet and relaxing time by yourself doesn’t mean you’re a loner or a sad person. Being lonely is different from wanting to be alone which can actually be quite healthy. Going for a walk and being by yourself sometimes, with no distraction from your mobile phone or social media, actually gives you the chance to clear your mind, focus and think more clearly.

Focus on your Passion

We all know social media can be distracting. What starts as a check in on Facebook or Instagram can all of a sudden turn to a 2- 3-hour waste of time. Instead of that, you can develop your hobbies.

Find something you are really passionate about and focus on them, rather than spending time on social media and thinking someone else is doing better than you. This may even help give you a sense of direction and fulfillment.

Gideon Ayogu, head, Corporate Communications at Yudala


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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

E-Business

Human Hacking: When Cyber Criminals Target You

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By Nancy Werteen

When you get anti-hacking advice, you’ve probably heard “Don’t use a simple password,” or “Don’t plug in that USB you found on the ground.”

Human Hacking: When Cyber Criminals Target You

But there’s one form of hacking that doesn’t always require a computer, and it costs businesses about 4.88 million dollars a year.

Modern hackers aren’t trying to get into your computer; they’re trying to get into you.

“They’ll try to learn about you a little bit, and they’ll try to use that information against you to try to get you to complete some action, maybe to send somebody some money,” said Kevin Moran, PhD, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Cyber Security and Privacy Cluster, University of Central Florida.

IBM calls this human hacking, because it exploits human error instead of system error.

“With people just being busy and maybe not very carefully checking some of the emails or the phone calls that they get, can be something unfortunately that people can fall victim to,” said Moran.

Also known as social engineering, this often takes the form of phishing, where the hacker tries to “fish” the information out of you by impersonating family, friends, or even your bank.

There’s also baiting, where the hacker baits you with something of value. Remember the Nigerian prince scam?

That’s a famous example of baiting. There’s also pretexting, where the hacker will claim the victim has already been hacked, and that the hacker can fix it if you just send over your passwords. So, what can you do?

“Just as a rule of thumb, instead of clicking on links and emails, just go to the website yourself. And that will prevent, a lot of these types of attacks from happening,” explained Moran.

Phishing can take many forms.

Spear phishing targets people with access to confidential information, often to get access into an entire business, and whale phishing targets CEOs or political figures.

Search engine phishing is when hackers create fake websites promising services or goods you’ll never receive.

Angler phishing is when hackers create fake social media accounts impersonating famous people or companies.

Finally, vishing and smishing is phishing done through phone calls and texts respectively.

 

 

 

 

 


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FG Enrolls 59,786 Inmates on NIN Platform

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Federal government  has said that it has successfully captured 59,786 inmates, representing approximately 74 percent of the total prison population into the National Identity Number (NIN) database.

FG Enrolls 59,786 Inmates on NIN Platform

This figure is based on a total of 80,879 inmates across 256 custodial centres across the country.

Abubakar Umar, spokesman, Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Deputy Controller of Corrections, who made this disclosure in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, dismissed recent media reports alleging that the NIN registration had yet to begin in custodial centres.

Umar described such report as misleading, inaccurate, and not representative of the current situation.

According to Umar, the NIN registration exercise within the correctional facilities was ongoing and has achieved substantial progress.

He credited the achievement to collaboration between the NCoS and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), which has enabled successful enrollment of majority of inmates into the national identity database.

According to him, “As of June 7, 2025, a total of 59,786 inmates, roughly 74 percent cent of the total inmate population have been captured on the NIMC platform,” Umar said.

“Efforts are ongoing to register the remaining inmates, and necessary mechanisms have been established to ensure the seamless completion of the process.”

He emphasised that the assertion that NIN registration has not started in custodial centres was factually incorrect and overlooks the extensive work already carried out.

The Service reaffirmed its commitment to integrating all inmates into national data systems, including NIN registration, as part of broader efforts to support rehabilitation, reintegration, and digital inclusion for individuals in custody.

Umar also urged media outlets to confirm their information with appropriate authorities before publication to prevent the spread of misinformation that could undermine the Service’s progress and public understanding.


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NIMC Denies Blocking Police Commission from Verification Server

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National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has clarified that all its verification service platforms remain fully functional and accessible to all authorized partners, including security agencies.

NIMC Denies Blocking Police Commission from Verification Server

Abisoye Coker-Odusote, DG, NIMC

In a statement on Thursday, the Commission firmly denied claims that it had denied the Police Service Commission (PSC) access to its verification server.

Dr. Kayode Adegoke, head of Corporate Communications, NIMC, described the reported “inability of the Police Service Commission to access the NIMC verification server” as misleading and inaccurate.

He suggested that any challenges faced by the PSC may be due to internal issues within the commission itself, not from NIMC’s end.

The statement reads: “To set the record straight, the NIMC granted verification access to all Nigerian Police formations for the verification of the National Identification Number (NIN). The NPF, PSC and other security agencies have been enjoying uninterrupted verification services for over five years.

“NIMC has provided top-notch verification services for recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force, as conducted by the PSC and at no time have there been any complaints or issues regarding NIN Verification by the NPF or PSC.

“The Commission has a robust and harmonious working relationship with the Nigerian Police Force and the Police Service Commission. The Information Communications and Technology (ICT) department of the Nigeria Police Force is actively managing the long-standing verification and integration service between the NIMC and all Nigeria Police formations.Entertainment tourism packages

“NIMC will continue to provide flawless verification services for the purpose of recruitment, security mapping, cybercrime control, and any other security matters.

“The framework by which NIMC provides services to the security agencies was recently restructured for standardization and effective implementation, following consultation with the Office of the National Security Adviser, and NPF has confirmed the verification services have continued to be available. We therefore believe that any service interruption experienced by PSC may be due to internal matters.

“NIMC is committed to providing excellent verification services to the PSC, NPF and all its partners but the terms and conditions inherent must be adhered to for uninterrupted flow of service.”


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