Social Media Obsession: 5 Easy Steps to Beat it

If you are using social media right after waking up and a minute before sleeping, then you are not alone in this. You may be catergorized as the person who is indulged in the Social Media Obession disorder.

So the question comes to ones mind that who are included into the Social Media Obsessed people? All those people who are too frequently checking thier social media profiles like facebook, instagram, snapchat, whatsapp and live their day on it and this act might be affecting their real relationships and creating a disharmony and dissatisfaction in their real life.

You may give an excuse to use it just to kill time, or you may be using it for seek of enjoyment or information, but let me be very clear, you are obsessed with it.

According to the Research of Social and Clinical Psychology, a netizen should utilize social media for about ’30 minutes every day’ for improved physical and mental health.

The number of social media users is increasing day by day. This is causing Social Media OCD which is alarming for the youth.

Globally, more than 4.26 billion people used social media in 2021, and that number is expected to rise to approximately six billion by 2027. Users are increasing thus reluctance to the use is also increasing. If everyone is doing it then why to quit it? you must be wondering.

Is Social Media Hurting Your Mental Health?

You have to quit social media for the only one reason that is primary; you are obsessed with it. Social media is like a drug to you. If you use it, then your mind is at peace and if you don’t see your feeds for few hours, your behavior might change as with the passage of time obsession in make you take a compulsory action. Just go and check your feeds otherwise you are losing the world.

Oh my dear friend, if you are the above one, or someone in your surrounding is involved in such an action then this article is for you. I will be providing some easy to apply tips that surly will help you get rid of social media obsession. Certainly, you will have to be committed to me in the comments section of the post. Commit yourself to follow the following guidelines for 40 days and I guarantee you will feel peace at heart.

Symptoms of Social Media Addiction

Constantly checking your phone for Facebook or Twitter updates is a solid indicator that you have a social media addiction. Feeling down when you don’t have access to social media, as well as spending more time promoting your activities on social media than actually carrying out those activities, are both warning indicators.

So, dear friend, let’s dive into the details together, bear with me!

1. Put your Apps in a Folder, not on the Home Screen

Keep your apps in a separate folder other than the home screen. This will help you to not notice them every time you open the phone.

You can also disable the notifications for particular applications so that you won’t be tempted to open them all the time and lose track of time on social media. It will be better if you close all the pop-up notifications, as if there are few notifications visible, you might start missing the Facebook and YouTube notifications. So nip the evil in the bud. Turn off all the notifications for 40-days.

If you want to do better, you can remove the apps from your phone. Set a regular time to check social media (for example, Sundays at 7 a.m.) and avoid logging in outside of that window. Following a strict discipline will straighten your work schedule, and you will be able to achieve higher goals.

And yes, don’t be deceived by the social media groups related to removal of social media obsession. As generally speaking, solution of the problem is not in the problem, the cause of the problem is not the problem itself. But something outside. Hence, solution to social media obsession disorder lies outside the Facebook groups. Avoid them. Don’t deceive yourself and please don’t give false satisfaction of improvement.

You can uninstall the applications too if you are too much addicted to them. Just remove them, get rid of the social apps. Come to the free world. World free of enviousness and world free of comparisons. Nature is waiting for exploration. Living things, the trees, the meadows, the falling snow, the sprinkling water, etc. are waiting for you my friend. Nature is calling you.

2. Stop Using Your Phone in the Bedroom

Using the phone in the bedroom can interrupt the regular cycle of your sleep and wakefulness. Melatonin (a hormone that causes sleep) is inhibited by the blue light emitted by phones. You might have observed the more you use mobile phones the more longer you are awake at night. Smart phones are emitting such lights that keep you awake.

The National Sleep Foundation suggests cutting off technology use, including using your phone, at least half an hour before going to bed. Instead, make it a habit to read books before sleeping. This can help you avoid becoming obsessed with social media.

It will be better if you stop using smart phones one hour before your sleep time. Sleep with yourself, sleep with your partner. But don’t sleep with your smart phone. Relationships are crippling just due to excessive use of smart phones. Couples don’t find to be with each other. Their focus and mind is entrapped in social media messages and feeds. How pity they are.

3. Set Time Limits on Social Media

Put a timer on your phone to control the time you spend on social media. Such apps are available that may help you to limit your time. Set your own time like if you were using social media for 4 hours each day, then it will be better to set the timer to 3.5 hours each day for one week.

Later on reduce it to 3 hours per day, 2.5 hours per day, etc. The smaller the steps you take the easier you will withdraw from this addiction.

While you can get around it, your ‘iPhone’s Screen Time‘ setting allow you to set a strict limit, which will make you reevaluate whether you want to be on Instagram. This will help a lot in determining your time on social media.

Moreover, do analyze your weekly performance on the use of social media. Also critically evaluate the benifits you got from the social media. I wonder very rarely you will count any. Sometimes few, but many times none. That is reality.

4. Pick up a New Hobby

How did you spend your time before social media? Camping, skating, reading, and making new friends? Reintroduce those things into your life that made you happy.

Try to spend time with your friends and family. Enjoy every moment.  This will change your old boring routine of spending all the time on social media and avoiding real life.

Adop a new hobby. Follow your passion. Learn a new skill. Make someone your mentor and start following their leads. Be someone’s follower in real life. Go, get out of your bed and wonder in this wonderful world like a free bird. Be like the flying bird that can travel anywhere.

Learn some new skill, adopt some new art. Be artful, be skillful, be tactful. The more you explore your own talents the more loveable you will feel from within. The more exploration you have regarding your own self the more respectable you will be for your own self. That will boost your self-esteem.

So better get rid of world of comparisons that is the world of fakebook and Instagram. Comparisons are inherent in human nature. Don’t lie to me that I don’t compare myself with others while checking the feeds! Oh my dear friend, how simple you are. You are being harmed daily, your emotions are being played by the media and the people sitting behind those pictures and videos. Show-off has a purpose.

I know one principle and make it your principle too; ‘Everything and everyone has a purpose’. So if someone sharing a picture of handsome boy, then that by itself is temptation for handsome boys. You start affiliating yourself. Oh my friend.

5. Keep your Phone Out of Sight

Want an easy hack to get rid of social media obsession? Maintain a distance from your beloved cell phone.

 Hide your phone or leave it in another room.

Obviously, it can be tough for the first time, but this can work, if you try to develop some self-control. Placing your phone on mute and in a different room usually works. It would be simpler to ignore something for a while, if you couldn’t see it or hear it. Put it in a closed box, cabinet, cupboard, or treasure chest, if you have one.

These steps are really useful for all those who are obsessed with social media. These steps require some patience but can really work.

Watch this video for a guy who tried to do a 30 days without social media!

Take Aways

Set time limits for when you visit your social media accounts. Turn off ‘push’ alerts so your social media activity doesn’t interfere with your daily life. Take a stroll. To avoid the temptation to check social media last thing at night and first thing in the morning, keep computers, tablets, and other social media-enabled gadgets out of your bedroom.

Mindlessly using social media feeds your addiction, so spend some time going outside, exercising, reading a book or newspaper, or spending time with your friends.

If you liked this article, then please do share it on the Social Media. If you have a question or suggestion? Then you may leave a comment below to start the discussion.