Take a break How to avoid being on social media too much by Noemi Hohn
MaxPixel
Disclaimer: Mental health is important, and social media plays an important role in it, but spending too much time on it can increase mental health problems. However, there are tips to help prevent it from causing issues in your life. Turn off Notifications Turn off notifications from certain apps or put your phone on do not disturb. That makes it easier to keep control on when there is time to check your notifications. Senior Grace Hootselle said, “ I put my phone on “do not disturb” most of the time so I can’t even see any of the notifications.” It can also help to just put your phone in a different room for a while and go do something else. Set yourself limits Look for apps that could help you remind you that you crossed a certain time limit or even just write down how much you think is a solid time to spend on social media. It is also possible to just set a time limit on your phone in general. Paige Sensabaugh, senior, explained: “I say not to check your phone all the time; you miss what’s happening in the world if you’re staring at a phone screen.”
Dedicate time to hobbies and other activities If you don’t want to spend all your time on social media, try to spend time on hobbies instead. According to the website Insider, “Dedicate time to hobbies or activities. A hobby or new activity can help curb your desire to check in to social media.” Senior Rebekkah Speelman said, “Find something else you enjoy doing just like reading a book, drawing something, singing something, dancing around.” Don’t have impossible goals Your goal doesn’t have to be to completely avoid going on social media. It is fun to scroll through sometimes. After all, there is a reason why we use it so often. If you notice that you’re on social media too much, the thing to do is simply try to start to have a healthy and open relationship with it. Hence, the tips! Be aware of what you see and how often you are on it and like New York Times writer Geoffrey Morrison said, let social media sites “become positive aspects of your life.” featureu january | february 2022 u the viewpoint u17
