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While cellphones are arguably the most convenient tool of the century, they’re also the greatest enablers of our social media addictions. After all, what could be easier than just the tap of our finger to open up one of our many online profiles?
The problem with using social media is that it is all too easy to overuse it. We get sucked down into the rabbit hole of keeping up with others and what they’re doing, while forgetting to live in the present moment of our own lives.
I’m all for doing a social media detox, which presents a number of healthful benefits. Since quitting my personal social media profiles, I can honestly say that my relationships with others have improved drastically, and that I have a healthier relationship with myself when I’m not drawn into a cycle of negative comparisons that social media sets the stage for.
However, for many of us, it simply isn’t feasible to just quit social media. We may need to use it for work, or to keep in touch with loved ones.
That being said, there are a few things you can do differently to keep a healthier relationship with your social media.
If you’re wanting to curb your social media addiction, or if you’re looking for ways to merely reduce your social media use, look no further than these 7 tips.
7 Effective Ways to Curb Your Social Media Addiction
1. Turn off your notifications. While an obvious first step to take in reducing your social media use, it’s one of the most effective, fastest ways to keep your social media addiction in check. More than likely, your notifications are the primary way in which you’re pulled into using your social media platforms. After all, who can resist the ping of a notification on their phone? It could be your crush commenting on a cute pic of you! Eliminate distractions like these quickly by turning off your notifications, or at the very least reducing them significantly. When you’re not constantly getting alerts on your phone about what’s new on your social media, you won’t be as tempted to open up your social media profiles.
2. Set a daily time limit. While it’s ok to use your social media from time to time, it can quickly get out of hand and become more of a lifestyle than a pastime. Limit your social media usage by allotting only a certain amount of time daily for you to access it. Maybe your daily limit is thirty minutes, so if you don’t use it all up at once, you can also break it up into two fifteen minute chunks in your day. Use a timer to limit your usage, and if that doesn’t work, download an app that can actually force you to get off of it (e.g., Self-Control).
3. Delete social media apps from your phone. Think about when you stand in line, or when you’re merely passing the time at your desk or on the couch. You’ve most likely got your phone in hand with your social media apps ready to go with just a quick tap of your finger. One way to reduce your social media usage immediately is to simply delete these apps off of your phone. You can always check the desktop version later. And for apps like Instagram that are made for the mobile version only, just turn off the notifications. As the saying goes, “Out of sight, out of mind.”
4. Limit your post frequency. If you’re someone that likes to update others on a moment-to-moment to basis through status updates or tweets, try limiting your post frequency. Instead of twice a day, try once a day, and then scale it back to once every two days, once every three days, and so on. When you’re posting less, your engagement with others online will naturally decline, which means less notifications, and thus less distractions.
5. Resist the urge to “check in.” While “checking in” may sound like a handy, harmless feature to let your friends know where you’re at, it can actually be a fairly dangerous practice to get into. If you regularly frequent certain hangouts (e.g., your favorite coffee shop on Saturdays), you might not realize that you’re consistently broadcasting your location to anyone who has visibility of your social media profiles. Bottom line: it isn’t worth compromising your safety, especially when others can predict your locations based on your previous check-ins.
6. Find other, healthier distractions. It’s more than easy to hop on your phone and scroll through your newsfeeds when you’re checking out at the grocery store, waiting at the car wash, or taking a break at work. Replace your social media habit with other, more healthful distractions. Check the news online, look up new recipes to try, or read a book on the Kindle app.
7. Use other modes of communication. Instead of using built in messenger apps to chat with others online (e.g., FB messenger app), stick to more basic modes of communication. Call, text, or even email your friends. Or better yet, meet up with them in person to catch up! Not only will you be reducing your social media use, but you’ll also be spending quality face time with others and improving your relationships with them.
