Like it or love it, social media is a huge part of society as we know it. For many people, social media isn’t just an integral part of their daily activities, but it’s their full-fledged source of income. Many people find themselves addicted to social media and the instant connection that it provides.
Unfortunately, social media addiction can leave us losing precious time, and wasting moments we could have been doing something much more valuable like spending time with the people that we love or pursuing our passions like playing the piano or painting. In fact, recent studies show that people who spend over a certain amount of time a day scrolling social media are much more inclined to develop depression. If this sounds like you, then maybe you could benefit from cutting back on social media. Here are some of the ways to do just that.
Self-Impose Time Limits
Sometimes cutting back is as simple as setting time limits for yourself. Whether you keep track of how long you’ve been on social media in your head, or you adjust your screen time settings on your phone, setting reasonable limits for how long you allow yourself to scroll is helpful for taking control of your addiction.
Initially, it may be complicated to cut back significantly. So, to help yourself stay committed, you should start small. Cut back an hour a day, and increase your limit as you go. Eventually, you may even decide to cut social media out of your life entirely. Don’t rush, and remember it’s a journey battling addiction.
Create Social Media Free Zones
Social media addiction experts suggest creating areas of your home which are “social media free zones.” For example, the dinner table is a great place to start. When you’re spending time with your family, it’s important to show that you’re fully committed to the present moment. So, making a commitment as a family to put down your devices and focus on each other is a great first step.
Practice Mindfulness
If you’re truly ready to beat this addiction, then a great place to start is practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness practices can help you become more aware of your habit, and identify the triggers that lead to when you use it. Practicing mindfulness will help you make a conscious decision to control your social media behavior and dedicate your time to more important activities.
Remove Temptation
Addiction is something that never goes away— we simply need to learn how to tame it. One of the most practical ways to take control of addiction is by removing temptation. For example, if there’s a specific app that you spend most of your time on, consider removing the app from your home screen, or deleting it all together. As they say, “out of sight out of mind.”
