Today, social medias are things that we are never going to escape from. It is very hard nowdays to find people who don’t have social medias at all, and even these people will not escape from them, because they will usually pop out on others’ social medias.
Although the claims of the benefits of social medias, like strengthening relationships and easing communication, seem valid, it seems like the disadvantages of social medias won us over.
We had became more anti-social, we take communication for granted, online communication brings a lot of misunderstanding & miscommunication, and maybe one of the biggest disadvantages, we become addicted to them.
We will post things and constantly check for likes & comments. Every time a notification of someone liking or commenting on your posts pops out, you get a dopamine rush in our body. Dopamine is basically a ‘reward hormone’ in your body. So basically what it means it, you will feel rewarded every time someone is liking or commenting. This will lead you to constantly checking your phone & post things out. This is how social media addiction works, although it is not yet categorized medically as an addiction.
This is why I blocked all of my social media notifications on my phone.
(You might probably wonder more on how to do it rather than why I do it. Yes, you can do it. I mean, I can do it on my phone. So I believe that you can to. Just google them out, because I’m not trying to explain that here.)
Even before I started Kelly Telly, I did check into social medias regularly, and aimlessly.
So one day I tried to think & rethink; why do I actually use social medias for?
I remembered having my first social media account after I finished primary school.
I created that account in order to keep in touch with my schoolmates.
So, that is actually my only focus on having social medias; connecting with friends and keeping tabs on what they are doing.
So then I asked myself again; is it worth it to spend like, 10 hours a day, just to see what they are doing?
I mean, I have a life too. I don’t need to bother into theirs too much.
Will I die if I don’t watch them?
I once went through 3 days without social medias due to attending a program. I was still alive and as great as usual.
Secondly, is it worth it for me to spend hours and hours, upon posting things & waiting for comments & likes on my post?
No, because that is not why I build social medias in the first place.
Okay, fine. Now that Kelly Telly is here, of course likes & comments are anticipated.
But does that mean I need to constantly check for them in the first place? No.
Someone likes or comments on my post. Is it necessary for me to know & respond on the spot? No.
When my time is free then I’ll check them and respond appropriately. Is that okay? Totally.
So, that is why I blocked all of my social media notifications on my phone.
I don’t have to know what my friends are doing for fun in real time, especially when I have my own work to do.
I don’t have to know likes & comments that I got on my posts in real time.
I will do all of that when all of my work is done.
So, if you are someone like me who are unable to let go of their social medias,
I suggest you to do this challenge. Maybe you’ll like it & will actually keep it that way.
Because trust me, even with me shutting off the notifications, I still check them a lot.
But through this way, I check them more systematically, and I don’t let them distract me and let alone interfere when I’m working.
It gives me the sense of control.
It gives me the ability to focus on one thing at the time.
When I check them, I check them thoroughly.
When I work, I’ll work thoroughly.
Again with the cliche ending;
It’s not how good or bad something is. It’s about how you use it.
This is how I manage my social medias.
How do you manage yours?
How do you make sure social medias don’t interfere and ultimately reduce the quality of your work & your life?
I would love to know how you do it.
Leave a comment below so you may help others who are struggling with this issue.
p/s: if you’re interested on how to use social media to actually improve your mental health instead of destroying it, this video is for you! 👇