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Social media can be a fun way to gather artistic inspiration, discover community events, and keep up with faraway friends and family. Unfortunately, it’s also easy to get addicted to scrolling and commenting.
A Healthline survey recently found that more than half of people believe their mental health would improve if they reduced their social media health.
If you’ve had enough of endless scrolling and videos that you don’t even think are that funny, try out some of these ideas to reduce your social media use.
Choose other ways to relax
Sometimes we just want to zone out and “turn off” our brains. Instead of opening Instagram, try going for a walk, listening to music you enjoy, or doing a puzzle.
Connect one-on-one
If you like using social media to keep up with friends you don’t see often, try giving them a call or writing them a letter instead! Chatting with your neighbors or joining a community organization can also help fulfil fulfill your social needs.
Share with one friend (instead of all of them!)
Many of us have become accustomed to sharing life updates, daily struggles, and general thoughts on social media. Next time you have the urge to post, try calling a friend or loved one and talking to them about what’s on your mind instead. You might not get the dopamine rush of dozens of notifications, but a real social connection will be more helpful in the long run.
Set boundaries
It can be hard to stop automatically picking up your phone when you have a moment of boredom. To help reduce the urge to check your accounts, try out some boundaries. For example, keep your phone out of reach while you’re in bed, mute all social media notifications, and unfollow accounts that provoke negative reactions.
Teenagers and Social Media
If you live with or spend time with teenagers, you’ve probably noticed how important social media is to many of them. It’s natural for teens to care what others think about them and to seek approval from their peers, but social media has made it easy to seek that validation 24/7.
Keep these tips in mind if you’re concerned about a teen in your life.
Set—and explain— boundaries
You don’t have to totally ban social media use. There’s a difference between sending a few messages to friends and watching social media videos for hours. If you choose to set a boundary, take the time to explain the reasoning behind your decision.
Be a good example
If you think your kids are spending too much time on social media, you should be mindful about your screen time as well!
Offer alternatives
Teenagers (and all humans) need social interaction. Proactively encourage your teens to set up in-person social events. If possible, offer to host or help transport them to the activities.
*Sources:
Blog: Adolescent Mental Health
Sounding the alarm: parent perceptions of teen mental health in the US
