The modern age is so revolutionised that we are just fixed to our screens! Undeniably, social media has influenced us by and large. Anything in excess can be harmful. Similarly is with social media where constant accessing of your social media accounts and spending hours together on it can lead to undesirable social media addiction. Activity turns into addiction when you devote the majority of your time to social media that it questions other important routines in your life.
What Do Statistics Say?
Experts conducting enormous researches have shown that there are 3.1 billion social media users worldwide in which 210 million people suffer from social media addiction. The daily figures are so dooming that we are bound to think twice. It has been inferred that an average person uses social media nearly 2-4 hours a day, while a teenager spends up to 9 hours a day on social media.
Children are seen losing their childhood when they are constantly glued to phones. Unfortunately, technology has limited them from socialising and engaging in sports or games to be physically fit and active.
Although it is not possible to completely get rid of social media scrolling, you can make use of it productively, rather than transforming it into an addiction.
Here, we are sharing with you ten effective ways of not getting trapped in social media. Read on!
1. Engage Yourself Into Something Constructive
You can divert your attention from social media by initiating some changes. Make use of your time effectively by picking up a new hobby – learn a new language, upskill your talent, create something unique from scrap, read a book, and much more….. or, even investing it in grooming yourself! Reading is a therapy and a very good substitute for social media addiction. Once you are completely immersed in reading, you will have no urge to even check your phone. It’s always exciting to learn something new, it could be anything, from baking to sketching. Who knows… you might eventually become an expert in what you have learned!
Try them out and you will be astounded to find that you actually have more free time than you must have thought of. So, why not stop scrolling and start utilising the best of your time?
2. Have some time for Your Loved Ones
Personal catch up with friends and family renders a great deal of joy that social media cannot offer. Hence, plan a trip, go for lunch, organise a get-together party, or play some fun games together. How good is that? You can also share your common interests and exchange ideas to enhance your knowledge. Then, do you think you will run for a call? Is it impossible to put your phones aside for a time being and cherish the lovely moment? Not at all… You can also visit your grandparents and make them feel special and connected. It’s really rejuvenating and makes your bond stronger with your kith and kins, feeling more attached. You also get a chance to help them or seek their help, in need.
3. Track Your Time
Social media can make users lose all sense of time. You must set a time limit using an actual timer, setting a calendar reminder on your smartphone, desktop, or watch before scrolling through your social media feeds, to limit your time on social media. When you reach the time limit, strictly put your phone down to avoid further indulgence, wasting time. Initially, it could seem difficult, but slowly you can find yourself progressing in reducing the time limit and will be using your phone only for important tasks such as answering phone calls or texting people when required.
4. Delete Idle Social Media Accounts
There can be times when you must have signed up on many social media platforms and now that they are no longer in use. To shun social media addiction, it is advisable to delete such platforms. Also, you must have the habit of decluttering your device frequently and turn off the “push” notifications, and “mute” that are used to check for updates.
5. Detox your Social Media Channels
Just like your body needs a complete detox once in a while, your social media channels require one. Set a suitable period of time, say, 15 or 30 days, in which you will not use social media for any reason. Letting people know that you’ll be back after a while and give alternate ways to reach you, delete the unwanted apps from your phone, and use it only in case of emergency. Though it might seem impossible, you actually do have an inner power to entirely disconnect yourself from social media, and the day you successfully complete this ‘detox’ period, you will realise that you don’t need social media to survive, but people and things that actually make you happy.
6. Control Your Feelings Mindfully
We tend to check social media to avoid some unpleasant feelings such as boredom, feeling lonely, making tough decisions, rejection, failing, or feeling uncomfortable. This habit leads to addiction. So, to get rid of this compulsion, first, accept your inner feelings and control them ubiquitously. It may take some time at first, but with consistent efforts and practice, you will find yourself not even responding to it. You will detect the most incredible skills in you that you have always wanted to explore in you and see yourself as a different person altogether.
7. Assessing Your Social Media Addiction
The foremost step to get rid of something disagreeable is to analyse why and how you began it. Why did you open an account on Facebook or Instagram, ask yourself did you actually want to? You need to identify the core need that triggers the impulse to check your phone.
Be true enough and admit that you have been addicted to social media when you were constantly making comments on the platforms or you were unable to keep up with your responsibilities. Once you have figured this out, try on improving yourself and overcoming the situation without denying and eluding from it. Take a break from your social media and assess how you feel. If you feel jittery or restless, you may have a social media addiction. Remember, the earlier, the better!
8. Set Realistic Goals
Set some pragmatic and attainable goals and make commitments with yourself in how you will realise them. For instance, this can be a 30-minute social media break while at work or limit checking your phone during your morning coffee break. One of the best things to curb your social media addiction is involving yourself in something better to do. It can be working hard to get into shape, making new friends, starting a blog, doing your personal development routine, planning your vacation, or something else. Goals will serve as the turners to have you utilise your time meaningfully and not check on social media.
9. Avoid Stress Trollers
The Internet is full of people who have nothing to do but just to make unnecessary comments on your tweets or your feed posts. It is better to pay no heed to them and not let them take a toll on your mental health. Instead of replying to their unwelcome comments, it is wiser to eschew these negative influencers. Always surround yourself with the people and things that you love and care for and welcome the same on your social media page.
10. Reward Yourself
The last suggestion to keep social media addiction at bay is to reward yourself for a job well done, equipped with a new skill and being transformed as an all-new person. Self-reward your achievement on having a check on social media, to boost you and stay motivated. For example, if you refrain from social media for an hour, give yourself a 10-minute reward break to do something that pleases you! Provide yourself screen time when you’ve achieved something or you’ve done something beneficial. This can even change your perception of social media and aid to keep off social media addiction to a large extent.
Although overcoming social media addiction can be challenging at the beginning, however, thinking sensibly can enormously mend your mind to stay off the social media track. There is much more to inspect in this beautiful world. So, don’t get cornered in a virtual world; make your own choices, and take complete control of your life. Get away from the screens and enjoy life’s pleasures to the fullest!
The fruits of technology are amazing, but remember that they should never be given the power to conduct our lives!
