Social media has become one of the most convenient ways to connect with one another. Information is able to travel at lightning speed, giving us the ability to gather information and receive updates faster than ever before. From seeing a friend's newborn baby to learning a new recipe from a food blogger, you can pretty much see it all. Social media has an amazing ability to connect us with important people and helps us stay up-to-date with others even if they live far away. However, it also comes with some downsides. You’re probably no stranger to trying to navigate the tipping point at which spending time on social media feels “life giving” versus a habit where you start losing track of time and feel glued to your screen.

When you wake up in the morning, do you check your social media right away? Do you take your phone into the bathroom and find yourself scrolling for periods of time? Are you ever guilty of obsessing over what to post or whether or not your post has reached a certain amount of activity? These behaviors might be linked to too much social media use, and can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction and unhappiness in daily life (Forbes, 2018).

Even if it’s not our intention while using social media, we often get stuck in a rut of social comparison. When we log onto social media, we are instantly connected with people's accomplishments and highlight reels, and when we compare, we are putting our happiness in a variable that is beyond our control (Healthista, 2018). Another reason you may be feeling dissatisfied is due to the lack of in-person connection. Behind a screen, you're missing out on that real, pure connection. The lack of seeing a person’s body language or hearing their tone of voice may take away the potential for a deeper connection, and can also lead to being misinterpreted or misunderstood.

Ways to bring intentionality to social media usage:

Remove certain apps. If you find that some apps are taking up a lot of your time, it might be wise to separate yourself and consider if it’s really benefiting you.
Set a time limit. Many phones now give you the ability to set time limits on apps. Slowly starting to decrease your time might help you realize it wasn't bringing much benefit in the first place. Also, it’s important to create a buffer between phone usage and bedtime, as the blue light emitted from your phone can disrupt your body’s circadian rhythm and melatonin production, making it difficult to get quality, restful sleep.
Put your phone out of reach. When you need to get something done such as homework or housework, try putting your phone in a drawer or face down where you know you won't be tempted to reach for it.
Turn off notifications. Turn off the notifications in your phone’s settings for your social media apps so they aren't continuously popping up throughout the day and distracting you from being present to the task at hand.
Find a hobby you love. Putting your time and energy towards something new and exciting that you look forward to will assist in decreasing your social media use on its own! Instead of simply watching other people’s fun adventures and moments on social media, get active and make lasting memories of your own by living fully and participating in things that make you happy.
Social Media Fast. You can always choose to go ahead and delete your social media apps for a few days and see how your daily life changes. It may be hard at first, but challenging yourself is important. You might be surprised by the joy it brings to “detox” from social media for a while :)
Spend time with your loved ones. Make more plans with the ones you love or simply focus on being present during the moments you have with people you care about. When you are tempted to go on social media to connect with others, consider making a phone call or video chat as a way to foster a more authentic connection.

References

“How much social media is too much?” Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomward/2018/06/08/how-much-social-media-is-too-much/#147eb2cd60e6

“Seven symptoms of too much social media use.” Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/artificial-maturity/201806/seven-symptoms-too-much-social-media-use

“Six reasons social media is making you unhappy.” Retrieved from https://www.healthista.com/reasons-social-media-making-you-unhappy/