I have fallen into the trap of mindlessly scrolling.
Been a victim of self-comparison.
Hit with a dopamine rush that makes you always come back for more.
My attention has been highjacked.
I then move my apps around so my fingers don’t habitually go back there, especially when I open my phone with the intention of doing something else.
I then asked, ‘Wait, what did I come to my phone, to do again?’
This behaviour needs to stop.
I don’t have time to waste anymore.
Can you relate?….. If so, keep reading.
These are the questions I’ve been considering and I invite you to do this little thought experiment too….. (if you think this will add value of course).
What do you use social media for? Are you an uploader, using it to share life with your personal friends, are you a creator, an entertainer, or an educator? Are you a passive scroller?
How does your activity add value to your life?
For the passive consumers, are you being inspired? Is it escapist? Are you decompressing with mindless chewing gum for the mind? Think about it for a second……
I’ve been this person, especially when I want to switch off after a cerebral day.
But as my time is much more limited now (after having twins), I’ve stopped.
Every minute of my day counts!
Notifications are OFF.
However, I’m not going to banish social media from my life. Let’s be realistic here…
I’m just using social media to my advantage. Optimising my time when I do spend it there.
My social media feed is curated.
The accounts I don’t want to see are muted.
The ones I love are in my search history. I hit the search bar in Instagram and scroll through my top ten pages. Is this giving nostalgic MySpace top ten friends vibes? I just want to see the ones I want to see.
I make sure to like and comment on pages I want to see more of e.g.: an aesthetically pleasing greige home interior page that’s giving more than just cookie cutter style. Your algorithm will give you more of this.
If I find a page I LOVE, I look at which other similar pages Instagram would recommend. It’s the small button with the person’s image and a + sign (next to the person’s email button). Again, another efficient way of finding value.
I get what I want, quickly, and efficiently and then switch off.
VALUE. VALUE. VALUE.
We don’t have time to waste.
Setting timers/ social media time limits helps keep you on task. Go to Settings > Screen Time, then turn on Screen Time if you haven’t already. Tap App Limits, then tap Add Limit. Select one or more app categories.
Everything you consume is conditioning your mind AND through your conscious consumption you can condition yourself in way that you want!
Another way to be conscious is filtering through principles and making your own set of rules.
What do you share? Why are you sharing it? What value are you offering? What value are you taking? What is motivating the sharing of this content? Would you share this with a group of strangers in a room? How does it make you feel sharing this?
Dont get me wrong, great communities can be formed online!
But like with every new friendship and relationship, having boundaries with your community and audience is KEY.
This is true for life in general.
I’m keeping this post short and sweet, but essentially I am on the journey of living life more intentionally and fulfilling my greatest potential and sharing some thoughts on social media, as this is where I hang out quite a bit.
Hope you found some take aways….
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Til next time.
Jada x
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