Why quitting Social Media is NOT the answer
Be honest. Does your phone usage look like this? I am sure you will agree that spending that much time on social media is classified as an addiction. A bigger issue than the time spent is the fact that no one plans to read bad jokes on Twitter or poorly skits on TikTok. It’s just something that happens. An autopilot your brain resorts to. The passivity in this addiction is the biggest challenge to overcome.
So, what do you do? Is it just as simple as deleting them off your phone?
I don’t think so.
Face it. Social media is integrated in our communities. We can’t imagine a world where we don’t message people on WhatsApp or tweet our absolute opinions. There are, of course, the “enlightened” few who have deleted social media and shame those that haven’t. Because of these people, I want to remind you of its benefits.
1) Connectivity — Being able to instantly keep in touch with people who aren’t in our proximity is without a doubt the greatest benefit of social media. WhatsApp has torn down the barrier of distance when it comes to the human connection.
2) Relaxation — Real life is stressful. So many pressures from so many directions. Sometimes the only way to cope is to switch your brain off. TikTok is fantastic at the art of escapism and can be a great place to recuperate.
3) Information — The European Super League is the embodiment of capitalism at its worst and made me feel horrible knowing that the sport I love could be destroyed (I was looking for a way to shoehorn that in). The speed at which information flowed on Twitter is something that people take for granted. Its rapid decline was solely down to the speed at which people united against it. This wouldn’t be possible without social media.
Since quitting isn’t the answer, the only other solution is moderation. You need to find a way to enjoy the above benefits without being trapped. Here are some tips which helped me out.
1) Precision — the best way to fight the passive aspect of this addiction is to be deliberate in the way in which you consume content. Whatever you wish to gain from using social media, invest some time into finding out what you enjoy and tailor your profile to that. Cutting the fat will make you feel less guilty about “wasting your time”.
2) Respect the limits — Adding limits should be an easy step to take. Respecting limits is a different ballgame. The biggest obstacle is FOMO. You should realise that you will always miss out on something, whether you use the apps for half an hour or 15 hours a day. Respect the limits.
3) Alternatives — Probably the most obvious advice. If you don’t want to spend so much time on social media, look for something else to do. Join the gym, go out with your friends, knit. You can do absolutely anything else because I guarantee that you will enjoy that alternative more.
