Do you remember the time before social media existed? What about before the internet became mainstream?

I grew up during the exciting time of dial-up! When the internet was this new and super foreign thing from Jupiter and everybody was just starting to understand all the possibilities that came with it.

Those special times when you’re watching your LimeWire or Napster download get to 98% and then suddenly cut off!

Ohhh, how those were the days…all you Gen Z’s have been blessed with the luxury of living with instant gratification and free WIFI almost anywhere!

Along with the internet came the world of social media and although it has benefited our lives in ways we never could have imagined before, there has been some negative consequences too.

Depression and anxiety have sky-rocketed, suicide rates have increased and addiction to technology has become a serious issue.

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How To Have A Healthy Relationship With Social Media

On the other hand, businesses have gained massive exposure and these platforms have given ordinary people a voice in their community and have allowed some of them to achieve their wildest dreams.

Inevitably, whether good or bad, social media is here to stay. If you’re looking for ways to have a healthier relationship with social media, here are 5 tips to consider:

Be Mindful Of Screen Time

On average, people pick up their phones almost 60 times a day and spend about 145 minutes on their social media accounts per day – that’s a whole lot of time staring at our screens.

For many people, it’s the first thing they look at in the morning and the last thing they check before going to bed.

Our smart phones are now equipped with so much access to data and one of the greatest ever built was the ability to track our screen time.

I personally never checked my screen time until recently and I was a bit shocked to see the stats myself. It didn’t seem like I was using certain apps that much but when I saw the numbers, it helped me put things in perspective.

Being aware of your social media usage can help you change your habits. If you find yourself using a social platform too much, set a timer using the App Limit function to create appropriate boundaries for yourself.

In the Settings section on your device, click Screen Time to see statistics

Under Screen Time, click App Limits and select which applications to set limits for

Select a time limit for the total usage of all applications

Once you have reached your daily limit, a notification will appear. You may select OK or Ignore Limit

If you select Ignore Limit, you have 3 options to choose from

If you select OK, applications with time limits will appear darkened

Turn Off Notifications

Every time we hear a notification alert, our brain releases a hit of dopamine. Our hearts beat a little faster and we’re faced with the temptation to check our devices right away.

If you allow yourself to be seduced by the temptation, you will be distracted your whole life.

Brendan Burchard said it best, “the inbox is nothing but a convenient organizing system for other people’s agenda”.

Turning off your notifications will allow you to have control over what you let in to your life. You get to decide when you want to respond.

Silence your message alerts, remove the badges on your icons, get rid of pop-up banners and put your phone on Do Not Disturb during times that are meant for you and only you. Maybe even put it on silent most of the time.

Unfollow, Block Or Delete

How many people do you follow on your accounts? How many of those posts actually bring you joy and inspiration?

We all know that most social media is not real life. Most of the time people are posting the best put version of themselves and we begin to compare our real lives with their fake lives.

You don’t get depressed by seeing what other people are doing, you get depressed by thinking about what you are NOT doing.

Nobody knows how you feel when you’re scrolling through the feed but you, so be real with yourself.

If that particular account you’re following leaves you feeling overwhelmed, anxious or depressed, simply unfollow.

If you don’t want to completely unfollow someone, then opt for the mute or hide posts option.

Stop liking pictures you don’t actually like.

Instead, fill your feed with people and posts that inspire you, motivate you, educate you and help you grow into a better human being.

If you live for people’s acceptance, you will die from their rejection.
lecrae

Remember Your Intention

Is there something specific you’re looking for when you open up your Pinterest or are you mindlessly scrolling?

Whoever invented the endless scroll widget was brilliant but now we’re really seeing the negative consequences.

We’ve all experienced this when we open up our phones looking for one thing and end up watching random YouTube videos and suddenly an hour has gone by.

When you open up your social platform, make sure it’s for a specific reason; not out of boredom or to pass time while waiting for someone or something.

Having a clear and precise goal in mind of what you’re looking for will help you decrease screen time and prevent you from falling down a rabbit hole.

For example, when I open up my Pinterest to look for a new chia pudding recipe, I set a limit for myself to save 3-5 pins and then that’s it, I close the app.

Before you open up your social media, take a few minutes to actually think about what you’re going to type in the search bar. Set a mental (or even physical) time limit for yourself and close the application completely when you’re finished.

Share Genuinely

There’s an app to make your pictures look better. There’s an app to make your skin glow brighter. There’s an app to make your butt look bigger.

There is an app for almost anything and everything.

So how much of what you’re sharing is real and genuine?

In my opinion, it’s these unreal, illegitimate posts cause depression and anxiety. They are the reason why young teenage girls lose self esteem and lack self confidence.

It’s not necessary to post every single detail of your life.

Here’s the truth:

If more people posted what was really going on in their lives or how they really felt, nobody would use social media.

That’s a bold statement and I know, but this is the world we live in and this is the culture social media has created.

Before you hit post, think to yourself, what is my intention of sharing this? Is this something that’s going to benefit someone else’s life? What can others learn from this post? Does this post bring joy and inspiration?

If you can’t answer those questions with confidence, then don’t post it.

Help set an example of positive social media usage and be a voice of empowerment by choosing to post genuinely.

SOCIAL MEDIA IS A PLATFORM AND WE ARE THE CREATORS.

We get to choose how we want to show up in the online word. You can literally be anyone you want. Why not be a force for good? Why not use this platform to spread more happiness and abundance in the world?