Have you ever found yourself scrolling through social media only to look up at the clock and realise that nearly an hour has gone by?
Join the club!
Before you beat yourself up about it, take a minute to think about what you go on social media for.
Do you get parenting tips and advice on Instagram? Do you get news updates on Facebook? Do you learn ways to do your child’s hair on Tiktok? Do you get support from other parents on Whatsapp?
If you answered yes to any of these, then your scroll is not a waste of time. In short, if you come off your phone feeling happier, more fulfilled, reassured or more knowledgeable, it’s actually time well spent.
The other side of social media
The problem with those apps occurs when you put your phone away and feel a creeping sense of inferiority, disappointment, jealousy, regret or sadness at what you’ve seen.
Sound familiar?
If it does, then the solution to your problem lies with you.
You have the power to create the content you want to see. The accounts you follow dictate the tone of your social media feed so if your list is happy, upbeat and positive, chances are you will be too.
If it’s based on comparison, one-upmanship, unattainable goals and unrealistic beauty standards, you’re going to feel dissatisfied.
Here are a few tips for curating your ideal social media feed:
The DO’s
- Write out the things you’re interested in – parenting, music, interiors, fashion, sport, news, clothing, books, health, positivity, etc.
- Do an internet search on who the top influencers in these areas are
- Follow the people whose pages or grids stand out to you
- Think about the public figures, companies or movements that are important to you
- See if they are on social media and click follow
- Once you’ve done that, take a look at your friends pages and who they’re following. If you have similar interests, you might find a few gems there too!
- Choose people and organisations that make you feel good about yourself and the world
The DON'T's
- Don’t follow accounts that will make you feel bad about yourself. For example, if you’re trying to lose weight, following a super-fit, toned person with an unrealistic training regime and restricted diet is not a good idea
- Similarly, people/influencers with seemingly perfect homes and children will only make you feel bad if your own house is messy and your offspring are acting up that day!
- If you’re following a news account, make sure it’s a reputable source and not one that will bombard you with conspiracy theories or inflated statistics
- Following friends is par for the course on social media but if a friend is constantly spreading negativity, propaganda or depressing material that you don’t want to see, click the Mute button. That’s what it’s there for!
