How To Use Facebook In A Healthy Way
Facebook, when first introduced, was a great way to let your friends know what you were up to in college. Now, it’s something where everyone seems to be getting into arguments with people from the opposite side of the aisle and, quite frankly, has played a part in causing a rift between people around the world. Instead of jumping into the pile of arguments and breaking your mental health, instead opt to approach Facebook in a healthier way. To do that, we’ve come up with five steps to make sure you’re getting the most out of social media without it taking over your life.
5. Set a Limit
When setting a course of action on using Facebook the right way, you should first track how much time you’re spending on the app. If you are spending more than 30 minutes per day on social media, you’ll want to start cutting down immediately because that’s the maximum suggested by the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology. The best way to limit time is by turning off push notifications, instead catching up on everything during your designated Facebook time.
4. Know What You Want
You shouldn’t hop on Facebook without knowing exactly what it is you’re looking for in your session. People tend to lose track of time and just scroll with no end in sight, and this can turn into hours of browsing and poor mental health. Go on Facebook looking for a specific person’s post, to update your status, find something on the Marketplace, etc. It makes it much easier to be in and out when you have a plan of attack.
3. Cut the Friends List
One way to completely minimize your time on Facebook is by slashing your friends list and the amount of people that you follow. If you limit your friends list to only those that you know and talk to on a regular basis, then you’ll only be seeing what they post. If there’s a slow day where they don’t post anything, then your Facebook time will only be a few minutes, leaving you plenty of time to create your own memories to share.
2. Follow Positivity
There are some accounts that you should still follow, even if you don’t know them. That’s because they can give off a good vibe that you otherwise wouldn’t get on Facebook. You’ve probably seen the sports arguments that people get into on Facebook, but that’s nothing compared to political arguments. Try to steer clear of any political talk for your own time and sanity, instead focusing on short form videos with wholesome content.
1. Don’t Post Every Thought
Not everything that comes to your mind and not every photo that you take on your phone needs to go on Facebook. It’s not just a matter of oversaturating your profile with posts, but exposing too much of yourself. There have been countless people that have shared just a little too much and it came back to bite them. Whether it be something offensive from their younger days, pictures of them partying when they weren’t supposed to be, or even something more minor, you can share too much.