Social media has countless benefits. It brings us closer together, allows us to connect with one another easily and keeps us up to date with current affairs. For business owners, it provides a platform for advertisement and opens up accessible communication between buyers and sellers. It can teach us things, about the world and our place in it, it can help us stay organised, give money to charity, engage in recreational activity and aid us in securing a job.
All of this is true, but it doesn’t take away from the negatives that often surround social media. Using these websites can sometimes feel like looking at the world through rose-tinted glasses. When observing other people’s posts, we see only what they want us to see, which is often a filtered and unrealistic snapshot of their lives. This, however, can lead us to feel inadequate about our own lives. Not only that, but having a world of information at our fingertips can often leave us feeling overwhelmed and powerless in the face of the hardships many others are facing across the globe. Additionally, social media sites, especially those designed to keep our attention, such as TikTok, can be incredibly addictive.
In order to make the most out of social media it is vital that we establish a healthy relationship with it. Read on for some tips on how to do so.
Find Other Forms of Entertainment
Social media should be a tool that keeps us connected and serves various purposes in our lives. It shouldn’t be something we are spending hours of our precious time scrolling through. Several alternatives are just as easy to access as social media that will help keep our brains engaged and keep us away from doom scrolling. Why not search the App Store for one of its many games? You can search by genre and find content directly tailored to the kind of gamer you are. Whether you want to try a puzzle game, a skill-based game or even try your hand at playing poker on your phone through a casino app. Gavin Beech has selected the best poker apps that host regular tournaments and offer rakeback deals.
Finding alternative forms of entertainment that are just as accessible as social media websites is a great way to create some distance between yourself and your social media use.
Only Engage in Content You Want to See
Sometimes things might come up on our Facebook or Instagram feeds that we don’t want to see. It might be tempting to engage with these posts, give them an angry or sad reaction, or comment that you dislike them. However, it is important to consider how algorithms work regarding what we see on our social media home pages. If you are engaging with this content, even to express your dislike towards it, the algorithm is going to assume you like it and, therefore, show you more. Of course, if you believe the content is dangerous, overtly distressing, or in any way violates the site’s guidelines, then you should report it, but if it’s simply something you don’t want to see, don’t react.
Instead, make an effort to engage in the content you like, and you’ll soon see you’re home pages appearing much more tailored to you as an individual, displaying your interests and showing content that will make you happy.
Don’t Believe Everything You See
One essential way to maintain a healthy relationship with social media is to acknowledge its flaws. One major flaw is that everyone has access to it, and can share whatever they like (within reason.) Everything that is read or seen on social media should be taken with a grain of salt. It’s easy for us to become offended or outraged with certain posts we see on social media, but it is important to fact-check this kind of content before allowing it to truly effect us.
Similarly, remembering that people hand-select and often edit the images they wish to share on social media sites such as Instagram and Facebook is an essential part of maintaining a healthy relationship with social media in general. It is good to be happy for these people, but know that the version of themselves that they show on these sits is only a glimpse of the life they have.
Set Limits
As discussed, social media can be a significant asset for many aspects of our lives. However, problems tend to arise when we use it too regularly, and without significant breaks. Using tools like screen-time to monitor your social media usage is a great way to keep on top of your time and begin making changes to reduce the amount of it you spend on these sites.
Additionally, there are several apps as well as in-built mobile tools that will lock certain mobile apps at particular times of day, after you’ve used it for a certain amount of time, or when commanded. Utilising this is an excellent way to ensure you are not spending too much time on these websites and therefore prevent them from taking over your life. Not only that, but it is also a good idea to avoid social media when engaged in other tasks. Dedicate specified times to check these sites, and if you receive notifications between these times, know that it is okay to ignore them until you are ready.
Also, if you are someone who engages with social media as part of your job, it may be a good idea to have a separate computer or phone that you use to access these sites while at work. Doing so will help you to create a divide between your social media use at work, and at home.
Maintaining a healthy relationship with social media is vital when it comes to looking after our mental well-being. However, taking steps to reduce the amount of time we spend on these websites, and ensuring they are better tailored to us as individuals doesn’t require us to not acknowledge the benefits these websites can have. What is important is making sure that social media works for us, and not the other way around.
