Social Media- a Happy Medium
“I’d like to be less effected/affected by social media”.
Untethering from social media does not mean disavowing it completely. It is about establishing barriers to prevent the toxic parts from infiltrating the places we need to purposefully safeguard (like our homes, families, and “selves”)
I am not against social media. When used properly, there are countless benefits, including: introducing new ideas and deepening appreciation of existing interests, a tool for initiating conversations and practicing the art of small talk (e.g. “I saw you went to Hawaii, I’ve always been interested in going there, can you give me some advice?”), and fostering a sense of collaboration and participation in a community. It also can help with identity creation- pausing and considering “who am I, and who do I want the world to see me as?”, and offer instantaneous access to decompression after a long day.
However, we are aware of the negative consequences as well-FOMO, self doubt, etc. I’ve heard patients express new onset difficulty motivating to action (and when we look at their screen time, they are spending 4-6 hours daily scrolling thru various social media platforms, rather than “acting” on an enjoyable activity).
Our physical homes should be our sanctuary, a zone of emotional security and support, and require our protection. The world can be daunting and intimidating, and we need to be mindful of what we expose ourselves to digitally under out own roof.
Here are some things that have helped ME:
*no looking at social media “under my roof”- I moved my apps to the last page to remind myself of this promise when reflex or boredom seems to want to overtake me. (I given myself permission to look at accounts whenever I am not in my house)
*create a secondary account where you only “follow” inspiring accounts (and set this as your own primary account, the one you “see” first). Keep the other one separate to follow friends and family and influencers.
*Set a screen time limit- even for myself.
*agreement to monitor my kids social media accounts and texts, and use observations as tools for me to guide them to a “next best choice” (much as I would if I was teaching my child to ride the subway or navigate new city- I wouldn’t just release them unsupervised)