I ain’t ever seen two pretty best friends…
There’s a good chance if you’re on social media, you read that with a certain accent, and can reference it to either a tweet, a FB post, or a Tik Tok video. Social media lets people share content quickly, and before we know it a simple post becomes a trend or goes viral. But how much is too much? Is it possible to be addicted to social media? And how can we commit to living offline?
The other day I saw a meme, on Facebook of course, that basically said “My iPhone better not send me the screen time alert next week” and lordy lordy did that hit hard. Although I’ve been working hard to keep our screen time at a minimum, the pandemic hit hard. Not leaving the house as much means we’re home more, with less activities to do. Plus, personal stressors mean I’m searching for a way to calm down. And with the election, social media is (unfortunately) my only access to the news (wince we don’t have cable television.)
Social media is unavoidable at this time. Everyone has at least one platform, and it’s truly an amazing way to keep in touch. It connects families across the globe. It lets us share photos instantly. At the foundation of social media, it’s really a positive addiction to our life. But… all good things need to be enjoyed in moderation. Too much is asking for a disaster.
Top 5 Tips for Overcoming Social Media Addiction
Do you live for the likes? Are you obsessed with finding the perfect Instagram filter? Do you grab your phone first thing in the morning to check your alerts? Or the biggest question yet, is calling people the top used function on your phone? (Since, you know, the primary purpose of a phone is communication via calling and texting). If you answered yes to any of these, you may have a social media addiction. But don’t worry, because it’s more common than not these days. Unfortunately, the system was designed that way. We are the products, and consuming online content is the payment. You can control your online presence without neglecting it all together.
PS/ I included similar tips over on my Overcoming your Phone Addiction blog post, so check that out if you play games or use other apps as well as social media.
1. Delete and deactivate the platforms you don’t use frequently or intentionally.
Sometimes we download an app because everyone has it. The FOMO monster roars its big ugly hard and we can’t resist. Or maybe we just want to secure a username that aligns with our other platforms. But at the end of the day, social media should be benefitting you. If you aren’t connecting actively with your friends, delete it! Twitter was once the cool new platform, but has crawfished into a specific niche of users. Those users tweet multiple times each day. If you are no longer actively contributing, you don’t need to be consuming their barrage of tweets. Look truthfully at each platform and ask yourself what you get, and what you put out, from being on each platform.
If deleting or deactivating isn’t an option, delete the app. Facebook was originally a desktop platform, and still works at full function on a laptop or other computer. Removing the app from your phone isn’t going to remove yourself from the platform, but it gives you move control of when you are using it.
2. Take the icons off your main page.
If you have the new ios 14 update this is easier than ever, because they can be moved to the App Library. If you don’t have the update, hide the icons in a folder on the back page. Don’t let them lure you in whenever you unlock your phone screen. A previous trick I used to follow, any time I found myself clicking into an app without looking (my fingers remembered where the app was) I would move the app! It forced my to consciously open the app, instead of letting the social media zombie open it.
3. Turn off all notifications. Period.
There is nothing on social media that requires immediate action from you. Turn off the annoying red numbers, turn off the sounds, the off the drop down banners, and remove all email notifications. You can check social media when you go on social media. It doesn’t need to be shooting sticky webs at you constantly, trying to pull you back in.
4. Utilize screen time and app limits.
I know it’s silly to set limits on ourselves- aren’t those meant for our kids? who cares. The screen time feature on iPhone limits what time you’re permitted to do certain things. It also limits categories of apps as a whole, time on the phone overall, and can block off a window of down time. If you choose to override it, you’ll get a reminder in 15 minutes to break you from that mindless scroll.
5. Turn off tags.
This is a new trick I learned after watching Social Dilemma. Tags allow one user to alert another that they are in a post or photo. It pushes notifications on that person as well. Turning off tags, or toggling to approval, prevents your friends from tagging you in their posts. That protects you from the garage of notifications whenever their audience engages on their post. It’s not your post- you don’t need to obsess over their engagement.
Bonus Tip
If you’re looking for an alternative way to wind down before bed (let’s face it, scrolling Instagram in bed isn’t putting you to sleep anyway), consider a Kindle instead. When was the last time you read a casual book? English class during your senior year of high school? Kindle Unlimited gives you access to hundreds of e-books in your own virtual library. My favorite kindle is the paper white (not the fire, which is essentially a standard tablet and allows the user to download games and scroll Facebook. That’s not the point of a Kindle, my friends)
At the end of the day, social media is supposed to pull people together… not tear us away from real life. Social media has become a mindless activity that controls our actions, dominates our time, and influences our decision making. Focus on living in the present. Get outside and life offline!
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