Social Media Shenanigans:Time for a break

I have often referred to my cellphone as my third child. I run my whole life off my phone and if I thought I had my phone in my hand too often two years ago, add the pandemic, running my online store and writing this blog into the mix and I might as well name my phone, give it my surname and set up a bedroom for it!

I have had conversations with friends who say that social media distracts them and being the good friend that I am, I asked, “Did the device jump into your hand and open an app by itself?” You are in control of your online life. I am in control of my online life. Here are a few tips I have used to try and limit the time I spend on any social media platform.

1. If your phone has a do not disturb feature, use it. It will mean that for a specific period, your phone will not ring and all your calls will go straight to voicemail. Try to enable this feature when you’re having a meal, during meetings and when you go to bed.

2. Leave your phone in a room that you are not in. This little inconvenience of having to go to the next room to check your phone is going to drastically cut back on your screen time.

3. Turn off notifications for all apps. This way you wont be tempted by the little pop up that intrigues your curiosity and tempts you to check what’s going on in the world.

4. Delete apps so that it’s not available at the touch of a button. This way you will have to login to your account to check what you have missed and heaven knows that is a painful process, especially if you have to do it over several apps.

5. Taking a complete break is actually possible. If you are feeling anxiety at the thought of not checking your social media pages then this point is not a suggestion but an absolute must. If you think this is not possible because you are running a business you are wrong. You are able to schedule your posts and if you don’t want to do this, just announce to your customers who follow your pages that you are taking a break for a short while and they will have something to look forward to when you are back.

6. Reward yourself by completing tasks before you can pick up your device and check social media platforms. Set a time limit for your ‘reward’ so that you get back to your tasks as soon as possible and earn yourself another break. Keep your device facedown to reduce the risk of seeing that little screen light up, enticing you to have a peek.

7. Don’t use your phone for things you can do the old fashioned way. Don’t use your phone as an alarm clock. Most of us have got into the nasty habit of picking up the phone to hit snooze and then start navigating to apps. Before we have even brushed our teeth, we have already scrolled through several stories and commented as well. Use a notebook instead of the notes app. Make a phone call instead of texting. Use an actual planner instead of the phone calendar. As archaic as you might think it is, it will make a huge difference.

8. Set a time in the evening when your phone is switched off every night. Switching it off means you wont be dithering about on social media platforms unnecessarily and checking it right before you go to bed.

9. If you don’t feel ready to delete apps, then try changing the layout of your phone so that your most important apps are arranged first on your home screen. This way you are training yourself to look at your functional apps first instead of your social media apps.

Ask yourself what is your goal for being on social media apps? Are you promoting your business? Are you touching base with family who are far away? Are you comparing your life to someone else’s? Are you lonely and trying to while away the time? What do you really want to get out of social media?

Once you know what you want from your time spent on social media you will be better able to make it work for you. Un-follow accounts if necessary and set boundaries for yourself and others. Once you set boundaries and establish healthy habits, you will find you start to enjoy your life and online interactions in a healthy and mindful way.

My final thoughts on this would be:

• Do try to apply some of these suggestions to kids, teens and young adults in your life.

• Do use social media to your advantage. You control your activities. Social media doesn’t control you.

• Do use your common sense. Your real life is more important that your online activities.

• Do take regular breaks from social media to keep yourself in check.