Social media use comes with both risks and benefits; on the one hand, it keeps us connected and informed. A growing body of research suggests that how we use social media can influence mental health, well-being, productivity, and relationships. The effects vary from person to person and depend on factors such as the amount of use, the type of content consumed, and how someone engages with social media. Social media platforms use algorithms that are designed to maximize engagement, which can make it easy to spend more time scrolling than intended; however, there is no real filtering of content that is beneficial to you versus harmful. As such, it is worth considering how to be intentional and set good boundaries with social media use; the goal is not to stop using it altogether, but to use it while preserving the things that matter to you, like your short- and long-term goals and relationships.
How to Set Boundaries with Social Media:
Becoming More Aware & Intentional:
Assess your relationship with social media: What benefits do you get from it? Are there ways that it’s becoming inconvenient or even harmful? Assessing this allows you to set goals about what you want your social media use to look like.
Curate your feed: every “like” and view feeds information toward an algorithm. You can choose what content you want to engage with. Engage with content that leaves you feeling informed, inspired, or connected, and consider skipping content that leaves you feeling anxious, discouraged, or drained.
Audit your following list: You may have started following certain accounts because they might have aligned with certain goals or ideas at one point in your life, but it’s possible that these accounts now make you feel anxious or discouraged. If unfollowing is not an option, the mute button can also be helpful!
Reducing Distractions:
Keep your phone away when out with friends and family in an effort to be more present with those around you.
When trying to get work done, use apps like Freedom, AppBlock, One Sec and Cold Turkey to block apps/sites that are distracting and prevent you from working toward your goal.
Build a Routine/Habits around Use:
Build your tolerance for being “screen-free”: Start small by choosing one time of the day (e.g., evening) each week to be screen-free. As this becomes easier, consider increasing to several evenings per week. Another option is to dedicate one full day each week to minimizing recreational screen use.
Set a daily reminder to be away from your phone 1 hour before bed.
Prevent Doomscrolling: Avoid bringing your phone into bed as that is where it’s easiest to doomscroll. If you want to scroll, set a timer for 10–20 minutes beforehand. When the timer goes off, put your phone away and transition to another activity, such as reading, stretching, or preparing for sleep.