If You’re Struggling With Social Media Burnout, Consider These 8 Things
The biology of social media is designed to keep us coming back, but of course, it takes two to dance.
Social media detoxing is a potentially valuable practice that can help us learn to understand our relationship with the online world. When approached with intention, this moment away can allow us to reconnect with ourselves, as well as the bigger picture.
The hashtag #SocialMediaDetox on Instagram displays roughly 69.4k posts. Having participated in a few detoxes myself across the years, I find personal validity in this hashtag. But it’s when I look at this hashtag through the insight I gained while studying for my BA in Communications and Professional Writing—a time which helped me better grasp the “vein” of these apps—that I’m reminded of the darker side of fast content.
If your social media usage has proven difficult lately, I feel you. Here are some gentle mind flowers to consider for today:
1. The enemy isn’t social media, but your utilization of it.
Specifically, what content have you been investing your time in lately? If certain accounts bring negative words to mind, consider your how and why. Is it possible there’s an internal insecurity you have yet to confront? Is your social media feed a far cry from the path you envision for your future self?
How have you been showing up for yourself on social media lately? If your answer to these questions contrasts what you advocate for offline, a bit of time away may help you pinpoint why this is.
2. Social media friends aren’t (always) friends.
Social media has made it easier to interpret fast digital interactions (e.g. emojis, or direct messages) as an indication of true friendship. Online or offline, you should make a habit to harbor enough self-awareness to notice strangers who don’t deserve your vulnerability or insight into your personal life.
Now, don’t get me wrong—social media can also leeway to real friendships. Specifically, I’m referring to the online friendships that bloom into remote/in-person meet-ups and offline support.
The mind flower is your definition of social media vulnerability, as well as your dedication to voicing your boundaries when necessary.
3. In a world of social media self-care influencers, choose what works best for you.
Take what advice you need and discard what you don’t. While social media has made it easier to find content published by legitimate health professionals and therapists—people who curate from the heart and strive to connect you to external resources—there is also an influx of content out there that is posted by individuals who seek to fulfill personal, self-fulfilling agendas.
Before you accept mental health, relationship, or self-care advice from a social media account, consider the credentials and achievements of the curator(s), as well as the real-life relationship that individual has with the subject matter. The less you see of these things, the more likely it is to encounter counterproductive and harmful advice—which can do more harm than good.
4. The time you lose cannot be revisited or reclaimed.
Just as social media can uplift you, it can also negatively impact your internal and external health. When you keep track of your social media usage, you can actively pave the way for a more positive online and offline experience.
Instead of scrolling for long intervals, you may find it healthier to set a timer for 15 minutes or a half hour. When your timer goes off, you’ll know it’s time to resume any activities you were doing prior.
Nowadays, apps like Flora can make it easier (and fun!) to manage your phone usage.
5. The time you choose to scroll also makes a difference.
Using social media when you’re hungry, emotional, tired, or sleepy will increase your chances of having a detached response to content you would normally have a more present response to. The difference between a present and detached response is our state of self-awareness—our capability to access our unique life experiences, which includes all of the valuable lessons we’ve harvested along the way.
If you find yourself feeling anxious when online, consider switching up the times you’re active on social media. If you’re normally active in the early evening, then scrolling for a limited interval in the morning—when you’re more likely to be the most awake and focused—might bring light to your experience.
6. Not every comment section, or DM, is worth your attention.
There are times when you may feel compelled to respond to a hater, a negative rant, or controversial content. While it can be argued that one of social media’s many (positive) benefits is instant connection, it’s important to ask what energy you give to the responses that come your way.
Does that fire you feel stem from a temporary need to react, or are you itching to reply out of a need to respond to content matters that can forward shared community, contentment, global awareness, and collaborative movement?
When you acknowledge your social media habits, you may find it easier to uplift your social media experience.
7. There is community beyond social media.
Read that again.
Maybe, you have been considering deleting your social media account(s). You have been contemplating the decision off and on, and this moment is your breaking point. You have tried social media detoxing, as well as unfollowing accounts that no longer speak to you. Nothing has worked, yet a little voice has convinced you to hang on for every reason except, well, what you really need right now.
Your wellness is worth more than forced engagement. If you have recently found yourself forcing social media interactions, if you are uncertain of how your life may look without logging in, if you are hesitant to break from social media because of a fear of loss/judgment/loss of community, please know that you are not alone.
When in fear of the unknown, know that apps like Instagram allow you to temporarily and permanently delete your account. With this kind of flexibility, you can rest assured you can always return.
When in fear of judgment, know that there are local and nationwide communities, classes, and meetups awaiting you. If you once found joy in sharing your interests, lifestyle, or art online, consider reframing your phone as a catalyst to newfound adventure. You can research community events, both local and across the way, that bring a spark to your imagination and can pave the way for lifelong friendships.
And hey, if you happen to not find anything that floats your boat, you may also find thrill in becoming a curator for your city or town’s first. Apps like Nextdoor can make it easier to connect with those in your area and facilitate events.
8. The why of your feed matters.
If you feel anxious after you make a post on social media, maybe it’s time to consider the why of your posts. Specifically, you might begin by asking yourself, Who are my primary and secondary audiences?, Why do I post for audiences x/y?, or What is the root of my motivation to post?
Not having this information can lead to feelings of confusion and isolation. One example of this is our interpretation of the word “follower.” While a blooming social media influencer might describe their followers as individuals who value their page as a purposeful resource, the anxious social media user—with an underlying goal to become more likable—may describe their followers as strangers who simply admire them.
In this scenario, the social media influencer encompasses the self-awareness to identify their mission statement and the needs of their audience, leading to a two-way sense of purpose. Meanwhile, the anxious social media misses the opportunity to identify their cause, partly credited to their self-fulfilling needs and partly because their audience was never an audience—just a dream to go viral for x/y reasons.
Social media is a roof the size of the globe, inviting us to claim space in one of its many houses. Your social media detox might look different from the next, and that’s okay.
Whatever you need to pave the way for tomorrow, take all the time you need.
Make the change for you.