5 Good Things To Do When Social Media Is Interfering With Your Life
Social media was created first to allow users
to connect virtually with friends, family, coworkers, and other people they
might not have met in person. However, it has since developed into a valued
activity that people of all ages enjoy. You're not alone if you notice that
using social media can cause you to lose many minutes, if not hours, of your day.
Social media's marketing techniques range from
push notifications to targeted marketing. Simply put, these platforms are
created to draw users in and keep them there. Unfortunately, as you spend more
time on social media and depending on your purpose for using it, the positives,
or drawbacks it can cause can intensify. Furthermore, once you’re hooked, the
platforms may ultimately be the only ones that thrive.
Recognizing the positive aspects of social
media can help you use it in a way that makes you feel good. Positive social
movements can thrive on social media, and they can also serve as a forum for
people to connect over shared interests and passions and as a resource for
marginalized groups who might not otherwise have access to the outside world.
You may help to prevent an overreliance on social
media before it becomes problematic by taking regular breaks and establishing
clear boundaries for yourself and/or your children. There are a few behaviors
that can help you use social media more deliberately so that you can
concentrate on the positives and stay away from the typical pitfalls:
1.
Avoid scrolling right before bed or first thing in
the morning.
Even though you may
have a wake-up alarm on your smartphone, which makes it all too simple to grab your
phone in bed, a steady stream of news, updates, and selfies do not usually
provide the ideal atmosphere for unwinding or getting ready for the day. Think
about developing more mindful routines centered on these two everyday
constants. Start by engaging in screen-free activities like writing, gratitude
exercises, and meditation.
2.
Reduce your time spent on social media.
According to one
study, cutting back on social media use to no more than a half-hour each day
helped people feel less anxious, depressed, and lonely. Having trouble keeping
track of those 30 minutes? With these advantages in mind, you may feel good
about keeping to your daily allotment thanks to phone settings that allow your
devices to notify you when you’ve hit it.
3.
Use a device other than your phone to access social
media.
When you stop to
consider it, do you require access to every social media network across all of your
devices? See if it's simpler to find a better balance in your social media use
when it isn't always available by taking a break by uninstalling apps one at a
time from the device you use most (usually your phone). When you only use
social media while seated at a computer, you may become less preoccupied with
the digital world and more able to be mindful of your immediate surroundings.
4.
Disable notifications and check social media
occasionally.
You may be aware of
how simple it is to reply to pings alerting you to new posts or comments.
However, you are in charge. Try this advice from Andy Puddicombe, co-founder of
Headspace and a former Buddhist monk: "Whenever it's possible, I check my
email and social media within designated times. I think doing this reduces
distractions. My homepage does not contain any social networking or email apps,
and I have disabled all notifications”. This is a strategy he has developed and
used over time and has yielded positive results in his aim to manage social
media usage. You may discover that you can prevent a lot of social media
anxiety if you don't have to deal with all that prodding and have a schedule
that you manage.
5.
Learn an online skill or get a job.
Rather than browsing
on social media pages, one can key into learning different digital skills that
can generate income for you. That way, rather than just spending time and money
on data, you could be earning money from skills learned. With a job as a
distraction from social media, you find yourself farther away from the
addiction to the virtual world and more in tune with your physical world.
You Can Cut Back On Your
Use Of Social Media In A Number Of Ways:
Simply deciding to use
social media less frequently or not at all is the simplest option. This
decreased usage may include not only the amount of time you spend on social
media but also the number of platforms you use, the contexts in which you use
social media, and the information you share there. This can occasionally occur
spontaneously, and many people eventually experience social media weariness,
which prompts them to take a vacation from social media on their own.
This isn't always
simple to do, especially when you consider the motivations behind why some people
continue to use social media even when they know it may be stressful or distracting
to them. As a result, you can profit from employing a variety of methods to cut
back on your usage of social media. Such methods consist of the following:
• Celebrate
your accomplishments; For instance, you might determine that if you
accomplish your goal of abstaining from social media for a month, you'll reward
yourself by attending a fun or entertaining event with your friends.
• Set
specific objectives for yourself; objectives that are concrete are typically
easier for people to accomplish than goals that are abstract. This means, for
instance, that it's generally preferable to set a more specific objective, such
as "use social media for around 10 minutes a day," as opposed to a
generic goal like "use social media less."
• Utilize
computer-based programs to control your access; You can, for instance, use
browser add-ons to restrict your access to your chosen social media platforms,
or you can download an app to your phone to prevent access to social media
during the hours when you should be doing things like sleeping or studying.
• Explore
substitute activities. If you discover that you use social media merely out of
boredom, try substituting it with interests or activities that are more
fulfilling and pleasurable for you.
Conclusion
The use of social media is linked to a range
of problems, including medical problems like poor sleep, general problems like
exposure to disinformation and political division, and emotional and mental
problems including anxiety, sadness, stress, loneliness, and low self-esteem.
You can use social media less by limiting your access and choosing alternate activities, as well as concentrating on using it in a more beneficial way, such as by using it just to connect with people you care about. These actions may help you avoid the problems that are related to social media.
References
https://effectiviology.com/dangers-of-social-media/
https://www.headspace.com/mindfulness/negative-effects-of-social-media