How to Stop Obsessive Social Media Use
Most people have one or more social media accounts on the most popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others online. While they can be nothing more than ways to stay in contact with friends and family or fun distractions, it is far too easy to become addicted to the updates and responses you get. When social media use becomes obsessive, you need to make some serious changes in your daily habits before the emotional impact of the problem gets worse.
Is Social Media Addiction Real?
According to various surveys and research studies, up to 10 percent of adolescents and adults in the United States experience social media obsession or addiction. These behaviors go beyond the simple enjoyment of checking your Facebook feed or Instagram comments a few times every day. When you are obsessed, the activity takes away from other responsibilities or enjoyable pastimes.
Reading, responding, clicking, and getting feedback on social media modifies your mood and emotions in a way that can become addictive. The dopamine release that comes with a new like, friend, or positive feedback feels good, so you keep chasing it until you feel it again.
Some signs of addiction for things like drugs and alcohol match social media obsession. You use it at inappropriate times, cannot go a day or even a few hours without it, and use social media to the exclusion of other pastimes.
Five Tips to End Your Obsession With Social Media
Try these methods to end your obsession with social media. These are also useful tips for parents who worry about their child's online activities.
1 – Remove all social media apps from your phone so you cannot check the platforms at work, school, or while out socializing in person. Only allow yourself to look at home on your laptop or desktop computer.
2 – Create a dedicated social media hour to read, respond, and interact. For example, you may give yourself fifteen minutes on the platforms as part of your morning routine and half an hour in the evening to follow up with events of the day. If you cannot limit your own obsessive behavior, consider locking the sites and having someone else control the password to access them. There are apps and programs for both computers and phones that make it impossible to access certain websites.
3 – Organize regular in-person meetings with friends and family. Use outings or group activities at home to catch up and stay connected. If this is not feasible, come up with regularly scheduled virtual meetings instead.
4 – Give yourself an activity to do list you must complete before you reach for your social media sites. These can include everything from daily chores or homework to hobbies, taking your pet for a walk, or having real world conversations with family and friends.
5 – Go cold turkey. To battle an extreme social media obsession or addiction, you may have to remove access to the sites completely. There are other ways to keep in touch with people you care about and other forms of entertainment.
When social media use starts to impact your daily schedule, positive habits, and emotional state, you have reached the point of obsession. The updates, likes, and comments from followers and friends can greatly impact your emotional state and take over large chunks of your time. Stopping this problem before it gets out of hand is your best bet for responsible changes to improve your life.
