Take a look at the app usage on your phone, and it may or may not come as a surprise how much time you have spent aimlessly scrolling through social media. It’s becoming a huge problem in society, lowering productive hours, as well as increasing the likes of anxiety, with many people citing their channels as one of the main reasons they suffer so badly with it.
Addiction to social media, commonly termed behavioral addiction, is also on the rise, and there are millions of people around the world who have developed an unhealthy reliance on the likes of Facebook and Instagram, so much so that the channels themselves have put in steps to help limit the amount of time people spend on them. But what can you do?
If you think you’re spending too much time on your social channels, here are five top tips to start cutting your time down on the platforms…
1. Set Timers
Setting timers is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to limit your time on social media. You can set a timer when you first log in, and if you do not successfully log out within that time, you will be automatically logged out. This will prevent you from becoming distracted and spending too much time on the platforms.
2. Log Out When Not in Use
Logging out when you are not actively using social media is a great way to limit your time, as it will prevent you from mindlessly scrolling through your feeds. Whenever you are done with your session, make sure to log out.
3. Unfollow Accounts
Another way to reduce your time on social media is to unfollow accounts that can be a distraction or cause you to spend too much time browsing. This includes accounts with frequent updates or posts that can trigger for you to spend more time on social media than necessary.
4. Put Away Your Phone
It sounds simple, but when trying to reduce your time on social media, it can be helpful to put away your phone and devices so that you are not tempted to check them. This will also help you establish healthier boundaries between yourself and technology and will decrease the likelihood of mindlessly scrolling through your feed.
5. Find Alternatives
Finally, it can be helpful to find alternative activities that can replace spending time on social media. You can use this time to pursue new hobbies, read a book, go for a walk, or engage in any other activity that is meaningful to you.
Following these five tips can help you slowly cut down your time on social media. You can use these strategies as a starting point and make adjustments as necessary to ensure you are spending your time in a mindful and purposeful way.
