Social media is addictive and overwhelming, but it’s also a helpful tool in connecting you with friends and family.
We all know that social media is here to stay. While we might try to fight its influence and the hold it has on our lives, its thriving existence is inevitable, especially now with digital learning and remote work.
Instead of developing a love/hate relationship with it, we should try to change our approach to it. We all know social media produces a great amount of anxiety, but it also makes life easier and is quite enjoyable. And there are ways of having a better experience online.
Here are 5 things you can do in order to have a more positive social media experience:
Comment and reply
Social media encourages us to post about our lives while also allowing us to watch the lives of other people. Depending on the app you use, these interactions can be conducted on a surface level, never encouraging further communication. If you want to have a deeper experience, get to know other people or get back in touch with someone, try other approaches aside from a simple like. Comment on other people’s posts and post replies when someone interacts with you. Don’t fight with strangers, though.
Narrow down which apps you use
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Social media apps have their pros and cons. While Facebook puts you in touch with distant family and friends, it also puts you in touch with some opinions and comments that you maybe don’t want to see. Instagram doesn’t encourage much contact, but it’s one of the most utilized social media platforms. Twitter opens the floodgates to all kinds of people.
Know your limits when it comes to social media, and what you want to get out of these apps. While there are ways of limiting your exposure to annoying content on all sites, you can also choose to drop apps if they’re not working for you.
Set some rules
In order to have a less charged relationship with social media, be aware of what works for you and set some boundaries. If the news cycle makes you feel stressed, disconnect from it and limit the amount of times you check your phone. If other people’s lives has you questioning your own, take a break from these websites. Take advantage of the limits your apps allow you to set and try to avoid checking your phone last thing at night and first thing in the morning. Progress from there.
No need to follow people or things that stress you out
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If there’s a family member who posts annoying and ignorant stuff, there’s no need to engage with them. Unfollow or block them and move on with your life. If the news is too triggering for you, set some boundaries or avoid following so many news sites. Try to find a corner of the internet that makes content for you, whether that’s soothing videos of people watering their plants or accounts that post interesting bits of movie trivia.
Mute and block
The mute and block options are available across all sites and are vastly underused. Don’t waste brain space in fighting with others or engaging in internet discussions when you don’t feel like it. Mute threads, block annoying followers, and more. These tools are there to make your social media experience better and more positive, and they will do this if you learn how to use them to your favor.
