Did you know that the main cause of employee absenteeism is directly related to loneliness?
Even before the pandemic, research showed that loneliness rates among employees was rising and so were the consequential health problems like stress, anxiety and burnout. As a result, businesses suffered, and continue to suffer, from reduced productivity, high turnover and a diminished bottom line.
As we continue to adjust to working from home, or a home-workplace hybrid, or even a full return to the office, a radical change must take place in order to deal with, and prevent, employee loneliness and the ensuing negative effects on mental health and productivity.
Interestingly, studies have reported increased use of social media during the pandemic, suggesting that the Internet and the virtual world could serve as a coping mechanism.
Social media platforms can be convenient means of accessing social support and have shown to increase psychosocial wellbeing by reducing anxiety and loneliness.
By increasing online communication, getting emotional support as well as facilitating access to informational resources, individuals may be able to balance social isolation with virtual connectedness. And with over 70% of adults in the United States (and similar numbers in Canada) using some type of social media, there is huge potential in tailoring these platforms to meet the specific needs of its users to impart positive wellbeing. With a captive audience and unlimited potential to impact a significant population base, the possibilities for improved mental health are endless.
However, we also know that social media has the potential to negatively affect our mental wellbeing, notably by being addictive, triggering feelings of sadness and encouraging comparisons. With all of its positive potential, there remain serious concerns about social media’s dangerous side.
The question remains: how do we utilize the positive side of social media without its negative attributes? This concern is one of the founding pillars of Nurau. Our social microlearning technology is based on the positive aspects of social media – bringing people together by allowing them to feel connected while gaining valuable insight about mental health in the workplace and beyond.
At Nurau, we are building a brighter and healthier future in the workplace, and it all starts with virtual connectedness.
Calculate how Nurau can help your organization here.