The Conscious Consumer's Guide to Social Media: How to Use Social Media More Mindfully
The Conscious Consumer's Guide to Social Media: How to Use Social Media More Mindfully
Written by Lily Thrope
Social media is an important part of our culture. It is a method of staying in contact with friends and family, keeping up with our favorite celebrities, and staying updated on what is going on in the world. However, too much screen time can contribute to feelings of stress and anxiety.
Research has shown that young adults who use social media are three times more likely to be depressed. If you find yourself feeling the weighing effects of too much social media use, consider how you can use social media more mindfully. In managing your social media use, you can help reduce your stress levels, improve your mood and give you a better sense of emotional wellbeing. Disconnecting from social media can feel impossible, but it doesn’t have to be.
See below for some simple tips on how to use social media more mindfully:
1. Tune into how you feel after you use social media
Next time you use social media, take a moment afterwards to do a quick body scan. Tune into how your body feels and ask yourself, Do I feel better or worse than before I used social media? This is an important time to focus on your emotions and how you feel.
2. Be intentional about your social media use
If you find yourself being negatively affected by social media, set intentions before opening up your apps. Oftentimes we pick up our phones and end up in an endless doom scrolling spiral. Next time you go to TikTok or Instagram, ask yourself, What are my intentions in using this app?
3. Curate your feed
I find this to be the most helpful tip. Carefully select who you follow and consider unfollowing people who do not make you feel good about yourself. If your social media feed is filled with content that makes you feel bad, triggers self-comparison, or has a negative impact, it's time to hit unfollow. Curate your social media experience to prioritize content that inspires and uplifts you, not content that brings you down.
4. Set limits
Watching YouTube or TikTok may feel relaxing, but can quickly turn into dissociation and doomscrolling. Opt to set limits on your apps so you don’t end up spending more than you originally wanted to. There are ways to set time limits within the app, or you can use an actual timer.
5. Find other things to do than social media
If you find yourself using social media 24/7, it might be beneficial to seek hobbies that exist outside your phone. Here are some things to do that don’t involve your phone or social media:
Journaling
Paint or draw
Read a book
Cook/bake
Spend time with friends
6. Disconnect completely
Sometimes the best way to mindfully consume social media is to just pull the plug. A ‘digital detox’ is a great way to bring your social media use back in balance.
It’s true that there are so many amazing benefits of social media, from networking opportunities to increased connection. However, our social media habits can quickly turn dangerous, and that is why it is important that we aim to consume social media in a more conscious manner.
If you’re interested in learning more about consciously consuming social media, you can schedule your free 15-minute consultation. You can also email us with any questions or inquiries at hello@thropetherapy.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
