Yesterday was international social media day. But whatevs right? Everyday is social media day now.
But is your daily Snapchat story, morning Tweet and evening Instagram doing more harm than good? Research shows that using social media networking sites daily makes you more likely to feel lonely and alienated.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHTGkRHj45n/?tagged=offline
We’re all guilty of scrolling absent-mindedly as we wait for the train or bus but could you be at risk on missing out on real life because you are living behind a screen? We’ve all seen that person at a concert that’s more focussed on the right angle than the music itself. Or the girl that Snapchats an ‘amazing’ party when we all know she sat in the corner, talking to no one.
Sure there are worse things than being addicted to Snapping and no one ever died from getting less than ten Insta likes. But excessive use is linked to feelings of depression and emotional issues. Maybe it’s time to switch off and calm down. Are you ready for a digital detox?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGpfx44EhTz/?taken-by=hellotwobirds
Dump anyone that makes you feel bad.
Spring clean your feed and get rid of anyone that makes you feel rubbish. Life is hard enough without you comparing #relationshipgoals and #summerbodies.
Make better use of your time.
The average person has five social media accounts and spends around 1 hour and 40 minutes. What if you limited it to 40 minutes and took back an extra hour of your day? You could take that dance class, train for a marathon or master a muffin that would make Mary Berry proud. We’d take spoon licking over liking any day!
Maybe it’s an Instagram filter.
Social media is not real life. Don’t forget that what you are seeing is a very edited, overly positive version of a person’s life. So forget the FOMO, it probably took them 187 tries to get that perfect pic.
#FunFact Friday // "Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's an Instagram filter." http://t.co/JTz3qNuZMU pic.twitter.com/d6kZ10KDVS
— Jake Spencer Hammel (@jakehammel) January 3, 2014
Lights off after lights out
Using tablets and smart phones on such a regular basis has a huge impact on your sleeping pattern. Our phones are usually the last thing we see at night and the first thing we reach for in the morning. Why not mix it up and challenge yourself to keep the first and last 30 minutes of your day phone free? It’s guaranteed to help you get some rest and clear your head. Win, win.
Limit the posts
If you are a frequent poster, set yourself a challenge to post or tweet less than you normally do. The world really doesn’t need another photo of avocado and toast.
Switch off your notifications
Is there anything more annoying than WhatsApp groups pinging you a hundred times every five minutes? Turn on the mute button and you’ll soon feel more mindful and gain some precious minutes back.
Could you live without social media? Tell us on Twitter.