Social media… we love to hate it. I know that I’m guilty of the same, complaining about it but still taking almost every free opportunity I have to scroll mindlessly. Social media has grown into something more powerful than any of us could have imagined even 10 years ago. It can be how many people make their income, but it can also be a source of bullying and a trigger for FOMO, anxiety and eating disorders.
Without delving any further into the dark side of social media, which is a whole other topic, let’s look at how we can make browsing through the apps on our phone an enjoyable experience!
1) You control what you view. You do not have to apologise for unfollowing or blocking anyone who negatively impacts your mental health. Say, perhaps, you follow someone who is obsessively on point with their diet and trains every day, making you feel bad for eating pizza on a weekend and only making it to the gym twice a week. Instead of beating yourself up or bitching every time their posts pop up, unfollow them.
I also know for a fact that twitter, and probably other apps, have settings where you can block specific terms which are upsetting to you from coming up on your feed too.
2) Have a posting schedule. This might seem silly to someone who only uses social media to keep up with immediate friends and family, but if your career is online, perhaps set a time frame to post, draft your next post, reply to comments from the previous post, and have a scroll. When that slot of time ends, move on to your next task. The app WhenToPost may help you arrange this.
3) Move your phone. I know for a fact that, if my phone is in my hand, I’m going to look at it. I’ve been guilty of completely missing the plot of an episode of a show to do it! If something needs your attention, for example revision, put your phone on charge in another room and collect it when you’ve finished. It’s also extremely important to consider the attention you’re giving loved ones. Instead of having your phone on the table when out for a meal, put it in your bag, by your feet. I also almost always have my phone on ‘do not disturb’.
4) Moment app. I don’t currently use this one but I’ve heard great things about it. This app will tell you how long you’ve spent on your phone. Nothing like a guilt trip to put things into perspective!
5) Take a break. My bodybuilding season this year ended very abruptly and early, when most people were still dieting. At that time, the majority of accounts I followed belonged to competitors who, for a while, were inspiring to me. As I moved into a reverse diet and gained some essential body fat, the images of what seemed like everyone else in the world’s abs appearing were extremely upsetting to me. I got into the habit of just deleting the app for a day or so when those thoughts appeared, until the mood passed and I was able to view things more rationally again. I now follow more accounts belonging to people I admire for their athletisism or their work ethic than their body.
Hopefully some of these points will help you reflect on what, if anything, you are gaining from social media. Remember that you should be in control of it, not the other way around!