Could you imagine a world without social media? Just think about it. Do you think you would find yourself bored and unsure of how to spend your time? Or do you picture yourself happier with a more positive outlook towards yourself and the world? Most of us can probably admit to having a love-hate relationship with social media. I know I sure can. We use it constantly and most have become addicted to it. But let’s face it, social media can be incredibly toxic and overwhelming. It can be a major distraction, we end up comparing ourselves to others, and the list goes on. So why not just get rid of social media then? Well that’s one option, but social media can also be a great platform for connecting with others and engaging with the world around us! So instead of completely getting rid of it, here are some tips that we can all follow in order to start using social media in a healthier way!
Don’t Let It Get You Down
This one is sometimes easier said than done. Oftentimes we can’t control some of the things we see on our feed. However, we can do the best we can to ensure that going through social media is a positive experience rather than one that leaves us feeling down. There is the inevitable dark side of social media and for me, it’s spending too much of my time on it comparing myself to others. Too often I will go on social media in a decent mood only to end up feeling down about myself after I come to the conclusion that I’m not as “perfect” or successful as the people I come across. Studies have shown the heartbreaking reality of increased depression and suicide rates among teens and this has strongly been attributed to social media. Therefore, I highly recommend unfollowing accounts that you feel are toxic to your mental health. Still follow your ex? Unfollow them! Do you have a friend who is always posting about their accomplishments while you yourself feel too depressed to even get out of bed? Mute them! You are under no obligation to continue to be bombarded with anything that is detrimental to how you feel about yourself. Instead, follow more accounts that bring you joy. If you’re like me, you could spend hours just watching animal videos, make-up tutorials, and countless other fun videos that show up on Instagram. These may even bring a smile to your face! Follow your favorite art accounts, pages dedicated to pictures of koalas, pages that post inspirational quotes every day, or whatever suits your fancy!
Set A Time Limit
This seems like an obvious one but I know many of us are guilty of having spent hours and hours scrolling through Instagram. Think of what else you could be doing with that time! You could learn a new hobby, catch up on all the homework you’re behind on, or go out with your friends you haven’t seen in ages. The possibilities are endless! I hear people all the time say that they don’t have enough time to do anything but in reality, so much could be accomplished if we just limited our time on social media.
Don’t Post Too Much
We all know those people who seem to be living life just “for the Gram”. Trust me, I’m guilty of this as well because who doesn’t love taking cute pictures and posting them? However, there comes a point where we end up focusing too much on the feedback we receive. How many likes did I get? Why didn’t they comment? For some, myself included, this highly contributes to a negative self-image. Additionally, there are those moments where we should just focus on living our lives without having the main goal of posting our experiences for everyone to see. So of course, post those pictures but don’t forget to live in the moment too!
Don’t Start or End Your Day With It
It’s Monday morning. You’re already dreading having to start the week but then you go on Instagram only to see that your friends went out over the weekend without having invited you. Or maybe you see that your best friend recently got together with your ex. Who knows? This is most definitely a terrible way to start the morning and consequently ends up setting the mood for your whole day. Likewise, ending your day scrolling through your feed is not any better. Not only is the screen time unhelpful in preparing your body for sleeping but the anxiety that could come as a result will make it extremely difficult to fall asleep!
With social media becoming increasingly influential in our society, it is more important than ever that we are prioritizing our mental well-being. This doesn’t mean completely deleting our social media accounts, but we can certainly benefit from following these basic tips in order to improve our social media habits!