It’s never been easier to connect, share and discover the wonders of our world and life.

 

Social media acts as an immediate dopamine hit when we are feeling bored or low, however, that dopamine slowly fades as we spend more and more time scrolling. Soon hours have passed and suddenly our mind is racing, eyes burning and we’re feeling lower than before we hopped in.

 

Intentionality around our use of social media and how/what content we consume has become a popular discussion topic.

 

Since October 25-20, 2021 is Media and Digital Literacy Week, we’re giving you 3 actionable tips to conduct a social media audit and be more intentional with screen time/content consumption.

 

  1. Unfollow! – As we grow, we are constantly redefining who we are and adjusting our relationships accordingly. But often, we don’t treat our social profiles the same way. Take stock of everytime you bypass a certain account, roll your eyes or feel saddened by someone’s post, and pay attention to the accounts that uplift or intrigue you. Unfollow the clutter to find YOUR bread and butter! Social media land is a free for all and there are no rules that say you have to follow every past coworker, high school friend or account that was once entertaining to you.
  2. A YOUnique Feed – Once we start to take ownership of our content consumption, life is more inspiring. Do celebrity posts make you feel inadequate? Then unfollow all celebrities (besides the ones you adore) and curate a feed filled with content you are eager to connect with or learn from. Seeking positivity and possibility is a much better way to spend our time online versus comparing or questioning ourselves with each scroll. Utilize the power of subjectivity, not all feeds need to include the same big names or brands.
  3. Boundaries – Canadian adults aged 18-54 spend an average of 1 hour 45 mins everyday using social media. Does this number apply to you? Is yours higher? (mine is) Simply being aware of your time spent using social media can allow you to make incremental improvements moving forward. Social Media is so addictive no one will be able to quit cold turkey. But could you challenge yourself to use your screen time tracking tool to reduce your use by 2 hours per week? Maybe you’re not on socials very often but you’re part of the average 23 hours a week Canadians spend watching TV – could you challenge yourself to lower this number incrementally each week? 

 

Unfollowing old contacts or trivial brands, curating a feed that is YOUnique and setting boundaries and intentions as it relates to our screen time opens up a new world of content and opportunity. Maybe you could dive into that stack of books you never have time for or explore that neighbourhood trail you keep putting off.

 

We take back control of our lives and happiness when we set boundaries around how we use our time and the content we consume. Try this social media audit out today and why not make it a monthly challenge to slowly but surely improve your mental health!

 

You can learn more about Digital Literacy Week and access downloadable resources HERE!

 

 

Sources:
  1. https://cmha-yr.on.ca/practicing-safe-social-social-media-and-your-mental-health/
  2. https://www.statista.com/statistics/237478/daily-time-spent-with-media-among-adults-in-canada/#:~:text=Daily%20time%20spent%20with%20selected%20media%20among%20adults%20in%20Canada%202021&text=In%20January%202021%2C%20Canadians%20spent,using%20the%20internet%20in%20general.