How to deal with social media fatigue

It takes a special effort to evade social media these days. Initially seen as an interesting hobby, it has now evolved to meet multiple professional and personal needs. As social networks become so indispensable to different aspects of life, they demand more and more of our time and energy. Keeping this in mind can help us become more aware of how useful our use of social media is in terms of time and energy.

Some questions that can be useful when evaluating how you use this medium are:

• What drives me to use social media in different situations? (For example, when searching for specific information, more out of habit, out of boredom, or to intentionally keep in touch with friends or family.)

• When do I use it the most? (It may help to think of situations where you may be most tempted to access these sites/apps. For example, during meals, when traveling, during breaks at work, etc.)

• How do I feel after using it? This question is useful for you to assess whether or not the time you spend on social media is a positive influence on you (eg relaxed, mentally stimulated, guilty about wasting too much time).

• Are there particular sites/pages that leave me more motivated than others? What is it about these sites/pages that make me feel this way?

After reflecting on these points, you may have some clarity about what drives you to use this type of media, when it happens the most, and how useful it is for you.

Some suggestions that can help you develop this learning are:

• Identify the apps/websites that meet your needs (for information, entertainment, etc.) and limit your social media use to these, instead of signing up for multiple sites/apps and easily getting overwhelmed or distracted by everyone’s notifications they.

• Use your knowledge of how a particular app or page in an app influences you to plan when you use a particular type of social media. For example, if you tend to lose track of time on Facebook, try using the site when you have a lot of free time, like a half hour for lunch, rather than during a five-minute break at work.

• You can also access pages of apps or profiles that inspire or motivate you during smaller intervals when you need a break and may be feeling tired or overworked.

• For the apps or sites you’ve identified are more boredom busters, or tend to negatively influence you, try scheduling other activities that you could do at that time. For example, taking a quick walk around the office or neighborhood when you’re bored instead of checking social media.

Here are some suggestions on how you can be more aware of how your use of social media influences you.