(Anti)social Media? Three tips to curb the negative effects of social media.
At what point does it become anti-social media or an anti-social activity? For me, it’s as soon as I feel a creeping sense of isolation or distance from my friends. It’s when scrolling becomes mind-less. That’s when I know it’s time to shut off. Admittedly, I don’t always catch myself until it’s too late, and I’ve spiralled for 15 minutes.
I recently revisited “The Social Dilemma”, a documentary series that incorporates scripted moments for dramatic effect. The message hits hard. We, the users, are the products big tech is trading in, our information is what is being sold, and the algorithms are engineered to keep us hooked. In my humble opinion, the assessment for the impact social media has on our overall well being is alarming and I believe with good measure.
The scary part for me, is that even when I am aware that I am spending too much time scrolling, and conscious of the detrimental effects, it is difficult to peel myself away. The effect is insidious. Do I sound like a luddite? Am I a geezer? Or will we look back at this time in history and wonder why we did not take more drastic measures to curb the use of screen time and social media? Feel free to sound off in the comments.
In the meantime, helping adolescents, teens, and adults examine their usage of social media and work on tools to help minimize its usage has had the positive effect of learning and sharing tools for more mindful usage. I’ll share 3 here.
3 Tips on How to Manage Social Media Usage
#1: Spend less time with it
Super obvious right? Well sure, but try a simple test. After a scrolling session, grab a pen and a paper and quickly jot down a few words about how you’re feeling at that moment. Write down the time of day too. Commit the next day to not login to any social media. Have a reminder set for the same exact time on the no-usage day and do a mental status check in. Write it down. Are you feeling different? Positively? Worse? Are you suffering from withdrawal? One day is not enough of a data set, so try for another week, alternate days of usage and then try to stretch days of non-use. Review how you felt. Reflect and write it down.
#2 Disable Push Notifications
Dings and buzzes provide hits of dopamine to the brain. But they’re also inducing stress. Notifications can be distracting and take you away from something else you are working on and interrupt states of flow. The state of flow is when we’re operating on a higher level and you’re in “the zone”.
#3 Wind Down
Set an alert on your phone to prepare you for bedtime. Reserve at least 45 minutes before bedtime, ideally an hour, before sleep where you are aren’t using social media, and even better if you’re not using your phone at all. This allows your nervous system to slow down and prepare for a deeper sleep, where creativity can flourish and you can recharge.
Bonus Tip: My friend, Max Joseph, an accomplished filmmaker suggested this idea. Instead of grabbing for your phone first thing in the morning when waking up to check social media or any news for that matter, reserve 15 minutes for reading a piece of FICTION. The effect is that it can take you out of your own world
The irony is not lost upon me, that I am sharing this post via social media, but the reality is that is where many of us spend a significant amount of our time and mental energy. And there is definitely great benefits to it. I’ve reconnected with old friends whom I otherwise may have never seen again. I like to reach out to random people and ask to catch up for coffee as time permits.
If you’re an old friend and you’re reading this now… drop me a line and let’s reconnect in a socially distanced safe way!