Want to know the reasons to spend less time on social media? Many of us check our Facebook and Twitter accounts several times a day, just in case someone has said something important - or simply because we're bored. But it's a rather pointless way of occupying our time. Social media can be useful, but it's become rather too predominant in our lives. Here are some reasons to spend less time on social media …
One of the reasons to spend less time on social media is that, despite the name, it's often not that sociable at all. Have you ever spent the evening watching your friends scrolling through their phone rather than talking to you? People are too busy posting pictures of their evening out to actually enjoy the evening properly.
Social media has become a huge part of our everyday lives, with many people spending hours every day scrolling through their feeds. But is it really the best use of our time? Here are some more reasons to spend less time on social media.
Firstly, it can be very time-consuming. You can easily get lost in your phone, spending hours browsing through posts and stories. This means that you're not actually doing anything productive, which can be a huge waste of time.
Secondly, it can be quite isolating. People often forget to engage with the people around them, and instead focus on their phones. This can lead to feelings of loneliness and disconnection, and can even lead to depression.
Thirdly, it can be quite addictive. Many people find themselves checking their phones every few minutes, or even every few seconds. This can lead to a feeling of being overwhelmed, as well as a lack of focus.
Fourthly, it's not always sociable. Despite its name, social media can actually be quite isolating. People can often be too busy posting pictures to actually enjoy the moment properly.
Social media can become very addictive. You check it frequently just to see if there are any interesting updates from your friends; there is rarely anything that you really need to see, but you keep checking anyway. We're so afraid of missing something, as if there might be an update of vital importance … there won't be.
This constant scrolling has a way of snatching away valuable moments that we could spend engaging in real-life interactions or pursuing hobbies that enrich our lives. The dopamine hit from likes and comments creates a feedback loop that makes us crave more. And let's be honest, how often does that "urgent" notification turn out to be a cat video? Sure, it's cute, but is it worth the hours lost? Likely not. Time to prioritize what truly matters and break the cycle.
The vast majority of what people post on social media (that means all of us) is completely unimportant. Even our friends probably aren't that interested in most of our updates. You won't miss anything by checking social media dozens of times every day: But the interactive nature of social media encourages us to keep checking in and posting our pointless updates.
Social media is a terrible time waster, what with the funny videos and uninteresting updates. You look to see what people have posted, then feel the need to reply, then look to see if they've posted in response to your post … What did we do before social media when we wanted to kill time or avoid the things we really should be doing?
As well as being a time waster, social media can carry risks. It's all too easy to get caught up in online arguments and fall out with friends. There's also the risk that people can find out too much information about you, even if you've paid attention to your privacy settings.
If you're one of those people who has hundreds of friends on your Facebook account, you'll be aware that most of them aren't really friends. So why actually allow them access to your account? It isn't a race, and collecting more 'friends' doesn't make you feel better. Ditch the social media and focus on real friendships instead - if you don't have enough friends, find some new ones.
Looking at a computer screen or smart phone isn't living, but so many people these days spend every spare moment looking at social media. Real life is so much more enjoyable, so keep your use of social media to a minimum and get out there to enjoy life.
Social media can be useful, for example keeping in touch with a group of friends or with friends or relatives who live far away. But we're allowing it to take up far too much time in our lives. Let social media work for you, not the other way around. Have you experienced problems with social media?