It takes a special effort to evade social media these days. Initially seen as an interesting hobby, it has now evolved to meet multiple professional and personal needs as well. As social media is becoming so indispensable to different aspects of life, it demands more and more of our time and energy. With this in mind, it can help us to be more aware of how useful our use of social media is in terms of time and energy.
Some questions that may be useful when evaluating how you use this medium are:
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What drives me to use social media in different situations? (For example, when looking for specific information, more out of habit, boredom, or to intentionally stay in touch with friends or family.)
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When do I use it the most? (It may be helpful to think of situations where you are most tempted to access these sites / apps. For example, during meals, when traveling, during work breaks, etc.)
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How do I feel after using it? This question is useful to assess whether or not the time you spend on social media is a positive influence on you (e.g. relaxed, mentally stimulated, guilty for wasting too much time).
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Are there particular sites / pages that leave me more motivated than others? What about these sites / pages that leave me feeling this way?
After reflecting on these points, you may have some clarity on what prompts you to use this type of medium, when it is most prevalent, and how useful it is to you.
Some suggestions that can help you develop this learning are:
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Identify the apps / websites that meet your needs (for information, entertainment, etc.) and limit your use of social media to these, instead of signing up for multiple sites / apps and being easily overwhelmed or distracted by everyone’s notifications they.
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Use your knowledge of how a particular app or page in an app influences you to plan when you use a particular type of social media. For example, if you have a tendency to lose track of time on Facebook, try using the site when you have a large amount of free time, such as half an hour for lunch, and not during a five-minute work break.
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You can also access application or profile pages that inspire or motivate you during smaller intervals when you need a break and may feel tired or overworked.
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Since the apps or sites you’ve identified are more to break boredom or tend to negatively influence you, try scheduling other activities that you could do at that time. For example, taking a quick walk around your office or neighborhood when you’re bored instead of checking social media.
Here are some suggestions on how you can be more aware of how your use of social media influences you.
