Max L. Smith-Taylor of Sidney is a mental health and human services student studying at the University of Maine at Augusta. He is currently pursuing his degree while working part time as an employee for UPS.

Post-pandemic social anxiety is one of America’s largest plights in the 21st century. Social and general anxiety are very commonplace and I believe two of the largest contributors to that have been the COVID-19 pandemic and social media.

The mandatory lockdown created a sense of dread in many — not being able to see friends and family, loss of jobs, health concerns and worry for the future. I fear that it created a sense of dread just interacting with others considering that just a few years ago we had reason to fear being within 6 feet of others out in public.

Back then the only way we could reasonably contact most people was through social media usage or applications. It was our only window into the world while locked within our own homes. But problematic social media use has created its own problems. How many times have you been bored and before you knew it you were opening your phone and finding the closest social media application?

Many, including myself, do it without thinking. Since when has the cure to boredom been opening your phone and scrolling through endless shorts?

The endless flux of information has its own issues, as we’re constantly bombarded with misinformation and edited videos. Young people may find themselves compared to people with “perfect bodies” or “perfect lives” when all they’re looking through are filters and short bits of information that aren’t anywhere close to the truth. It creates a sense of failure and insecurity within a person when constantly compared against impossible standards.

Combined with modern concerns financially for the future the dread and fear of what’s to come can be crushing on anyone, not just young people.

So what is there to be done about this social anxiety and dread? Create community. By that I don’t simply mean “go outside and kick a ball with the neighbor” or find other individuals who enjoy similar interests or hold similar values.

Isolation of any type is the ally of social anxiety along with a host of other mental health issues, so find something you might enjoy with others. It can be anything. See if your workplace has group activities for employees. Check with your local game store if it has events, join a recreational group for sports, attend church, help a community service group, whatever works for you.

To that end, social media use can be healthy if used responsibly. I communicate with many of my own friends through applications such as Facebook Messenger, Discord or even just a messages app.

The lockdown from the pandemic, in a way, isolated all of us. Workplaces had to go remote and many were laid off. Most, other than mandatory workers, had to stay home. Anyone who went out needed to maintain a 6-foot distance. Even if we were around others we needed to stay isolated.

This doubtlessly increased social anxiety within many and we still feel the effects today, so let’s try and reverse those effects by creating community again. The time we’re spending doom scrolling through Facebook posts from our old neighbors could be used talking with that neighbor or another friend in person or over the phone.

Now of course there are those who don’t quite have the easy method of leaving the house, such as people with disabilities or difficult mental health conditions. To them I would recommend seeking a community even more, even if it is mostly online. There are always others out there who have similar struggles to you and it can’t hurt to connect with others like yourself.

The pandemic took a lot from many people: loved ones, safety, future security, our lives in a way. To create community with others is just one way to make a step toward taking our lives back, life away from fear, life that isn’t stifled by social anxiety.