Social media has consumed our lives. It is everywhere we go and is used by everyone we know. It is very challenging to escape; it is not quite impossible, but it can be isolating to completely remove yourself from such a popular concept. So rather than completely removing yourself, you just redirect everything so that it benefits you. You have more control over it than you think. You may not have control over the posts your followers choose to upload, but you can decide what you actually get to see. You decide what actually fills your feed and is being consumed by your mind. You have the power to use social media to your own advantage.
Followers
A great way to make social media work for you is by sorting through your followers. This works in two ways: those you are following, and those who are following you. First let’s focus on your own followers. You have total control over who gets to view your feed. An overall fix to having that full control over who can view your feed is by making your account private. That way you can dictate whether or not you are comfortable with certain people viewing your posts. Additionally, if someone who already follows you makes you feel bad about yourself, you have the power to dictate if they still hold that burden over you. An easy fix is by simply removing them as a follower. And consider that if they already make you feel bad, then there is no need to feel any guilt about it. Remember, you are looking out for yourself.
The other perspective on followers is through the accounts you choose to follow. It is important to consider if an account is making you feel bad about yourself. Whether it’s through personal looks, life experiences, social circles, etc. it’s easy to see someone’s life on social media look close to perfect. However it is essential to remind yourself that people only share what they want you to see. They don’t share their imperfections, flaws, or struggles because it’s too vulnerable to show. Understanding that concept is a great start to lessen that self comparison. But also if it is hard to control, you simply unfollow the person. You don’t want to open social media and have it be a trap of self pity and anxiety. Mindset is a very impactful method to help you maximize your use for social media. If you can rework your thoughts into finding accounts that motivate or inspire you, then you can feel that positive influence without the self pity. This is something I personally have started to do. I follow accounts that maintain a lifestyle I strive to obtain for myself. Seeing them be able to manage it motivates me that I too can do that for myself.
Priorities
People may feel pressured into social media because of how commonly used it is. It is a normalcy to communicate and share photos primarily through social media. However, sometimes social media is not the best option for someone’s mental health. And I believe that it should be understood if someone needs to delete their socials to better themselves. It is such a common expectation to keep up with social media, but a lot of pressure surrounds that. There should be no issue with making a decision based on what is best for yourself and not based on society’s opinions. I have come across a few people who do not have social media and I admire their choice in doing what is best for them rather than what is trending. If someone is in a bad spot mentally, social media is not a great environment to surround yourself in. But also, if you simply do not have the interest in keeping up on your activity on these accounts, that is also a valid reason to remove yourself. Whatever the reason is, it is entirely valid if it is fit to benefit your own needs. Even if it is a temporary change to help whatever spot you currently are in, it is so important to accommodate your own needs.
Additionally, you can rework social media to where it is customly fit to your needs and interests. Whether it is a fitness journey, a new hobby of cooking, or fashion inspiration, there are so many different aspects you can focus your social media around. Whether that means unfollowing the accounts that no longer serve you and your aspirations, then do that. Follow the accounts that will best guide you on whatever journey you are on. There are no rules surrounding social media, so you can follow however many accounts you choose to be involved with. Avoid the pressures of maintaining an active account and never make a post if that is what you choose. Simply use it only for the content you are gaining and not giving. Custom your social media to benefit yourself in any shape or form.
Pinterest is a true love of mine. It is my favorite app on my phone and that is because there is no pressure around maintaining a following or actively posting. It truly is for your own benefit and custom to yourself. You can follow other accounts, but you will always be offered new and updated photos on your feed with or without that following. And better yet, it caters to your own interests and likings. Pinterest knows how to adapt to related content based on the items you pin to your account. It simply does all the work for you. It is truly an amazing resource to focus on different areas of your life that you are choosing to put energy into. You can have multiple aspirations and hobbies and they will all be fit to you through your Pinterest. I find Pinterest to be a great source for inspiration and new ideas. It has given me such a safe outlet to express my own personal goals and intentions. I have been influenced and inspired in so many great ways. It is my favorite source to gain a new incentive or expand my creativity. It is so accustomed to you and your personal needs and interests which is why I highly recommend it to everyone involved in social media.
Wrapping Up
Overall I firmly believe that you should customize your social media to your own benefit. Whether it is to motivate and inspire you, give you a new perspective, gain insight, or receive advice, they are all great resources when properly obtained. People should start making decisions based on what is best fit to their needs and values. That way we won’t get caught up in comparison or jealousy. Unfollowing accounts that no longer serve you is truly beneficial towards this process. Consider what it is that you personally need so that you can customize your feed to be best fit to yourself. Prioritize your goals and aspirations, not just the expectations placed by society.