The recent accidental fatal shooting of a man live on YouTube – in an attempt to draw more followers to their site – has been described by US authorities as a ‘social media stunt gone wrong’ and has highlighted the dangers of social media addiction.
Monalisa Perez, 19, was booked into a Minnesota county jail after shooting at Pedro Ruiz as he held a book to his chest, believing it would stop the bullet, the BBC reported. The couple’s three-year-old child and nearly 30 onlookers watched as she fired the fatal bullet into his chest.
A relative of Ruiz said he had told her Ruiz said they did it because ‘we want more viewers, we want to get famous’.
One of the problems with social media’s rise in popularity is that people think their list of ‘virtual friends’ and the number of ‘hits’ they get for each item they post makes them ‘more famous’ and this need to be famous or popular can become an addiction.
Breaking an unwanted habit or addiction is not easy but clinical hypnotherapy can help people conquer their addictions and the National Council for Hypnotherapy has around 1,800 therapists across the UK who have had success in helping people stop smoking, overcome alcohol misuse, drug dependency and other ‘problem behaviours’.
Says the NCH: “We define a problem behaviour as an unwanted habit or addiction; something you feel you have no control over which affects your life and the lives of those you care about.
“Habits such as overeating or smoking are the most common. But there are other behaviours that affect people’s lives, make them unhappy or cause a risk to their health and the health of those around them.”
An addiction can feel like it controls your life, says the NCH but the good news is that we are in control and can change how we react to certain situations and you can protect ourselves in ways that are healthy.
The NCH says the reason why hypnotherapy works so rapidly with bad habits and behaviours is because it ‘works directly with your subconscious, bypassing the critical mind and getting to the root of the issue so that changes can be made that support your goals quickly and efficiently’.
An unwanted habit can also lead to stress and anxiety – another area in which hypnotherapy can help.
Says the NCH: “Why is it important to reduce anxiety in your life? What difference will it make to you? Research shows that prolonged exposure to cortisol and other stress related hormones can cause memory problems, a weakened immune system, an increase in blood pressure and even reduce fertility.”
AN NCH hypnotherapist can help assess a person’s anxiety, identifying the root of stress or anxiety and then they will set their client a goal asking how they wish to feel, how they would like to be, and things that they would chose to do if free of anxiety.
“They will then work with you to reach your goals using a range of different techniques,” says the NCH. “Every therapist may use slightly different techniques, but working towards the same goal. After sessions with a hypnotherapist you may feel more confident; more relaxed in situations that have previously challenged you.
“Many people say that they are calmer and that they have more clarity of thought – able to make decisions more easily. People who have experienced side effects of anxiety such as insomnia, find that they are sleeping much better and as a result are able to work more effectively.”
If you are worried about an unwanted behaviour which is becoming addictive, contact an NCH therapist near you by clicking here to access their directory. It can make a world lof difference.
The rise in the popularity of social media is staggering. Facebook alone now has more than 1.5 billion users worldwide. This changing world has brought new opportunities but also pitfalls. Every week there seems to be a news headline about someone who has got into trouble through social media.
Referring to the tragic YouTube shooting, the Ruiz relative said: “It was just a prank gone wrong”.
Ms Perez, who is pregnant, is now facing charges of second degree manslaughter. The single gunshot was fired from about one foot away as neighbours gathered to watch outside their Minnesota home.