Go Cold Turkey & Quit Social Media
Depending on how bad things have gotten, it might be time to go cold turkey and stay off social media entirely. If you’re spending more time on social media than you are interacting with people in real life, give yourself a reality check by having a holiday from social media. Decide how long it’s going to be, inform your friends online how long you’ll be away and how they can reach you if they need you in person, and delete your apps. If you normally spend a minimum of two hours on social media per day, you will have an extra 14 hours per week which are totally free to do whatever you want with letting the world be your WiFi-free oyster.
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Are Your A Social Media Addict
I didnt pay much attention to this unhealthy trend in my life up until recently. I no longer had time for basic things, like cleaning the house or taking out the trash. When trying to figure out the cause of this, I finally noticed my social media addiction. And thats where the problem occurred, and it was quite serious. I couldnt live a single day without checking my accounts.
This problem had to be dealt with as soon as possible. A couple more months and my IQ would probably start dropping cause I didnt get any useful information at all, stuffing my brain with all sorts of rubbish. I went online and started looking for tips to overcome my addiction, trying one tip after another. As a result, I came up with a small list of steps that worked for me. Here they are
Its Okay To Put Your Phone Down And Enjoy Life
In fact, this one simple idea might be the key to breaking your social media addiction! Lifes precious moments are one in a million, like seeing a shooting star or catching your favorite persons grin. These are such fleeting events, and they never repeat themselves in your lifetime.
Dont rush to your phone to record the occasion. Instead, use your eyes and emotions to capture it. Allow it to become a fond memory. Enjoy the moment youre so eager to share with others and make it a priority to share it with yourself instead.
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Dont Have Your Phone By You Whilst You Sleep
It is not difficult to see how our phones wreak havoc with our sleep schedules. 45% of people choose to scroll through social media instead of sleep.
To combat this, place your phone on the other side of the room. If the phone is out of reach, we will be less tempted to check it. It is often an automatic reaction to reach for your phone and scroll through social media in bed. If you have to get out of bed to enable this, you will think about why you want your phone, and chances are that this will help you cut down on how much you use it at night.
Get A Handle On Procrastination
If youve reached the point where your own addiction has begun to frustrate you, chances are that procrastination might be playing a role. Youve got to hand it to social media its the perfect way to dawdle and put off tasks.
So how do you avoid procrastination? You face it head-on!
For every task procrastinated theres a reason. Maybe the task is too big and you dont know where to start why not split it into smaller steps? Or perhaps youre lost under a mountain of assignments list them in order of priority so that you know where to begin.
If youre struggling to get stuck in and maintain concentration levels, you might find that the Pomodoro technique can help. Its a popular time management technique that involves working on a task for twenty-five minutes before taking a five-minute break to stay focused. After four twenty-five-minute sessions, take a longer break of half an hour this will help refresh and rejuvenate you.
Once youve suppressed your tendency to procrastinate your productivity is bound to increase. Even if you still find yourself checking social media during your five-minute break, youll still feel better with twenty-five minutes of concentration already under your belt!
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Get A New Hobby Outside Of Social Media
What did you do before you had social media? Going outside, roller skating, reading, meeting new people? Think of things that brought you joy before doomscrolling and anxiously refreshing for new notifications, and reintroduce them to your life or pick up a new hobby to fill your spare time. You could learn a new skill or do something you’ve always wanted to do but never had the time. You’ll probably surprise yourself at how much free time you have when you stop mindlessly scrolling through your newsfeed. Plus your new hobby whether its knitting, playing guitar, or cooking will keep your mind and hands preoccupied when you’re craving social media. That being said, resist the urge to share your progress on Instagram.
Disadvantages Of Addiction To Social Media
1. Social Media is time consuming as you could spend your whole day on Social Media being entertained and chatting with some friends.
Ways To Overcome Social Media Addiction
2. Social Media reduces productivity because when you spend so much time on Social Media, by default you will be less productive as the time you ought to use to do something reasonable will be devoured by Social Media.
3. Social Media is a potent took of distraction especially for Students who are social media addicts, as such Student will rather come online instead of concentrating on reading their books and when a Teacher is teaching they will always be on their phone.
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4. One negative effect of Social Media is its increased low self esteem amongst active users when they see pictures of their mates flexing or living a fake life. This may therefore prompt such a person to indulge in a malapropos act to keep up with the flexing trend on Social Media or alternatively could get such a person feeling down and less inferior to their mates.
5. Social Media facilitates Cyberbullying as active users of Social Media are often victims of backlash, dragging and unprovoked insults which could lead to depression. Moreso, general users of Social Media are often victims of fake and hostile information usually spread across Social Media.
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Limit Your Social Media Screen Time
Set a timer on your watch or phone to limit the amount of time you spend on social media. Your iPhone has the capability in the screen time settings to set a hard and fast limit, and while you can work around it, it will prompt you to rethink whether or not you really want to be on Twitter. Choose a limit depending on the severity of your social media dependence say an hour a day, which equates to seven hours per week and whenever you check your accounts, start your timer going. When you reach your limit, be strong and don’t be tempted to add on extra time. This will be a strong test of your willpower, but it will be worth it in the end.
Why Am I Addicted To Social Media
Millions of people around the world use social media every day but how does a seemingly harmless hobby become an addiction?
An ever-increasing array of social networking sites are available on which to post, like, comment, share or follow from Twitter, Facebook and to Snapchat, TikTok and .
While social media is a great way to connect with friends and family, watch videos and discover a world of information, for many people it can have negative repercussions including a fear of missing out . This can make some people feel that others are leading more fun and interesting lives, which can trigger feelings of loneliness and low self-esteem that can eventually cause more serious mental health issues.
This article lifts the lid on social media addiction what it is, how to identify it and where to get support if you, or a loved one, are struggling.
Get immediate help for you or a loved ones social media addiction. Book a free Gameplan call now to learn if our program is the right fit for you.
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Social Media Addiction And Substance Abuse
A University of Albany study discovered that excessive social media use is not only addictive but also can be associated with substance abuse disorder. Researcher Julia Hormes found that 10 percent of her research subjects experienced disordered social networking use.
These same individuals were also more likely to report alcohol overuse and impulse control problems. The research suggests that disordered online social networking may arise as part of a cluster of risk factors that increase susceptibility to addictions, Hormes wrote.
Social media addiction also has the same characteristics as substance abuse addictions. Two studies by Mark D. Griffiths, one in 2005 and another in 2013, found that six core components characterized addictive behavior. These are:
- Concealing the addictive behavior
“We must hold social media platforms accountable for the national experiment they’re conducting on our children for profit.”
President Joe Biden, 2022 State of the Union Address
Think About Why Youd Like To Be On Social Media
Everything we undertake in life is motivated by a single question: why do you want to do it? What does it have in store for you? The same may be said about using social media.
It may seem odd to ask this question while considering a Facebook or Instagram account, but if you want to genuinely manage your social media , asking this question might be eye-opening.
Do you simply want to remain in contact with pals, or do you want to advertise your company? By getting to the heart of why youre online, youll be able to properly track your time on social media and eliminate anything else.
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What Does Teen Social Media Addiction Look Like
- Its known that teens and adults alike check their phones upwards of 150 times a day, and its been well-documented that our excessive access to social media and our obsession with our online appearance has had a significant impact on teens, including severe self-esteem issues and feelings of anxiety.
- Social media not only promotes the decline in mental health for many teens, but it also becomes an easy outlet for online aggression and cyberbullying, further impacting a child emotionally.
- An addiction to online media may lead a child to struggle to engage with others on a normal level, as well as affect their academic performance and chances for a future.
- Addiction-levels of social media use can also negatively impact existing relationships, leading many teens to struggle to maintain a commitment to their partner or friends due to constant distractions and lack of attention.
It’s Time To Start Living Your Life
It’s easy to get caught up in the instant gratification of likes and comments or simply check your phone every ten minutes to avoid missing out on online things.
Here is some food for thought how about all the things you’re missing out in real life when glued to your screen?
The best advice we can give you is to stop living your life online and start enjoying the company of those around you and the beauty of this world. If you ask us, nothing beats real-life experiences and interactions.
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A Working Definition Of Social Media Addiction
But thats likely not what youre here for. Youre probably here to understand social media addiction better, to be able to combat it. For that, we should agree on a working definition to base our discussion and solutions on. Well, what should we use as a practical definition?
The US Addiction Center defines social media addiction as follows:
Social media addiction is a behavioral addiction that is characterized as being overly concerned about social media, driven by an uncontrollable urge to log on to or use social media, and devoting so much time and effort to social media that it impairs other important life areas.
That seems about right in the sense that it is useful. Lets use that, for now. Diving into the causes of social media addiction, we will find more clarity.
What Are The Symptoms Of Social Media Addiction
Social media addiction can manifest in several ways. Now, the presence of the following symptoms may help you assess the influence of social media on your daily life.
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Here Are A Few Ways How You Can Overcome Social Media Addiction
Thanks for reading. Read my other post about the social media paradox if you are interested in such topics. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive more such amazing content.
Social Media Addiction And How It Affects Health
We all know it isnt true, but this mindset and desire to display a flawless existence online for all to see is fueling despair, anxiety, and poor self-esteem.
Similarly, its making us lose our sense of authenticity and reality since real world issues dont make for pretty social media postings. Instead, we seek refuge in the beauty that only serves to mask our misery, loss, or loneliness.
Weve stepped out of our actual world because weve meticulously built our online one. This form of escapism is known as social media addiction.
So, how do you reclaim control of your life by limiting your time spent on social media ? Here are some guidelines to follow.
Since the inception of websites like Facebook, the way we utilize social media has evolved dramatically. Initially, Facebooks platform served as a basic means of interacting with friends and family while also allowing users to post cheesy photographs and status updates to their wall.
With the advent of a more picture-oriented site like Instagram, however, we increased the ante. This is where the thorny issue first arose, and were still dealing with it now.
Take a peek at a few of todays most popular Instagram accounts. Millions of people are sure to notice a trend of well-groomed photographs and layouts. This has become an Instagram objective, reinforcing the notion that good images equal success.
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Find Other Activities To Do Instead Of Using Social Media:
When you have the urge to use social media, try to do something else instead. For example, if youre bored, instead of scrolling through social media, try reading a book or taking a walk. If youre feeling lonely, instead of looking at other peoples lives on social media, try calling a friend or family member. And if youre procrastinating, instead of scrolling through social media, try focusing on the task at hand. By finding other activities to do, you can avoid using social media altogether. Dont forget to give yourself some credit for avoiding social media too.
Advanced Steps: Purpose Aligned Technology Usage And Environmental Design
Remember the productivity & mental health Aikido described in the last step of the five basic steps above? We can go a little further on that stream, my friend, and go beyond just simply overcoming digital technology addiction to 10X ourselves with the help of technology.
The core of my methods and thinking is not to get you to stop using digital technology. Theres just way too much good to get from technology if used in the right way.
The core of the advanced steps and of the advise near the end of my book is to align our usage of technology with our Purpose, and then to align everything else in our environment with that as well, as much as possible. Starting with your relationships and communications, and the way you spend your time and attention and building from there.
Making time for Traction in stead of Distraction, from Indistractible by Nir Eyal.
Take these advanced steps, and take beating social media addiction to the next level to go beyond:
So, my friend, there you have it. The five basic steps to quit social media addiction, and five advanced steps to go beyond that and become the best and most happy version of you that you could possibly be. I hope you find these helpful. Id love to hear from you if you do.
One last thing, before we wrap up this article and get to work on ourselves:
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