Social media has taken over all of our lives. And in some ways, it’s not for the better. We’re constantly receiving notifications and checking our feeds; we’re becoming so consumed with what is being posted online, and that’s extremely overwhelming! As much as we want to unplug, the idea of going completely offline can be scary. So, instead of going completely dark online, decrease your social media use instead. Here are a few benefits:
1. Eliminate FOMO
For those of you who are not familiar with the term FOMO, it stands for “fear of missing out.” FOMO is definitely consuming, and it can be detrimental to your self-esteem. Watching Snapchat and Instagram stories and scrolling through pictures on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook can make you feel like you are missing out. There’s nothing wrong with taking a weekend night off from going out to do some self-care, but FOMO definitely takes over when you’re looking at videos and photos your friends posted. But, by only checking your social media feeds once or twice a day, you’ll start enjoying what you are doing; you’ll still feel up to date on what people are doing. If you decide to have a night in, curl up with your favorite book and leave your phone plugged in to the charger, far away from you. Enjoy ‘you’ time.
2. Save Time (And Data)
Admit it, we’ve all scrolled through our social media feeds to kill the five minutes we have before we need to do something. But, if you add up all the minutes you spend scrolling through your feed in a day, you’d probably end up with a higher number than you had expected! If you instead use the time to finish homework, read a book or get to bed earlier, you’d be able to accomplish so much more. Decreasing your social media consumption when you’re not connected to Wi-Fi can save a lot of data usage for you! Use the time you normally check your feed for more productive purposes; it can help you feel more in control and focus on the things that really matter.
3. Increase Your Self-Esteem
Okay, real talk: when you post a picture or a story, you sit and look at all the people who viewed it or liked it. But, if the number isn’t as high as you hoped, you get upset. We wonder why not more people liked our photo or viewed our story, and it’s not a great feeling. However, decreasing the amount you post can help alleviate this feeling. Putting your self-worth in your own hands — instead of in those of friends, family and strangers who view your posts — can help you feel more confident in yourself. Remove yourself from social media so you can stop comparing yourself to others. Stop rating yourself based on how many likes you receive also; at the end of the day, only what you think of yourself matters.
Social media can be an awesome tool to create connections and to promote yourself in a positive way; but it also can be extremely consuming you use it on a daily basis. Decreasing your daily consumption can empower you become more confident in yourself.