8 Guidelines for Using Social Media with Purpose
A Month Off of Social Media
I recently took a month long break from social media and it was immensely refreshing. So much so, that I’ve considered if I should leave social media for good.
I’ve been considering the pros & the cons of spending time on social media and here are some of the ones that bubbled to the top.
CONS:
The distraction from my present world around me
The time it so easily consumes
Opening myself up to the criticism of people I don’t know
Information/connection overload
Negativity
PROS:
Connection, with both close friends & family as well as those that I would not have known otherwise except through social media
An outlet for sharing creativity!
Inspiration
Entertainment
A way to widen my worldview & perspective
I can so easily be an all-or-nothing type of person, which is what tempts me to simply leave social media for good. But, I do find value in the positive aspects of social media - mostly in the connection & the creative outlet it provides!
So, I’ve decided that if I am going to spend time on social media at all, I need to set some intentions for how I use it to guide me with intentionality & purpose so that I can both contribute AND consume in a positive way. Here are my 8 guidelines (in no particular order) for how I plan to use social media with purpose.
1. Take regular breaks from social media.
Social media was made, by design, to be addictive. Before I know it, a few minutes of scrolling turns into an hour. I stop at a red light, sit down to pee, stand in line at a coffee shop and instantly open up Instagram - not allowing myself to think an uninterrupted thought or to engage with who and what is around me.
Taking regular time away from social media helps me break those habits and re-evaluate the way in which I’m using it and the amount of time I’m spending on it.
I do better with structure and a plan, so for now, I am trying out this plan of regular social media detoxing:
one day off of social media per week (if not the whole weekend)
one week off per month (probably the last week of each month)
and one month off each year
2. Keep all notifications turned off.
This is something I changed with almost all of my apps a year and a half ago after reading The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. I don’t get notifications from social media, email, or almost any other app.
It’s hard enough to stay focused without allowing our social apps to notify us any time someone leaves a comment, sends a message, or likes our post. I want to be the boss of how I use social media, I don’t want Instagram to be the boss of me.
3. Be a light.
If I’m going to spend any time on social media, I want to contribute in a way that is positive & authentic. For me this comes by way of both what I choose to share and how I choose to engage with what other people share.
4. Never use social media when I’m around other people.
One of the gifts of social media is connection. Even the little “micro connections” we have with people through comments and DMs can have significant meaning when we communicate with honesty and open-ness.
However, I don’t want to let Instagram steal my time & focus from the people right around me. My husband, my kids, my family, my friends.
We all know how that feels to be sitting at dinner with someone who is just scrolling on their phones. I wonder, am I boring? Do they not want to spend time with me? This is awkward… Maybe they wish they were somewhere else… And I do NOT want to contribute to making others feel that way!
Plus, this guideline alone will minimize the amount of time I allow myself to spend online which I think will always be a positive.
5. Be intentional with who I follow.
There is no way to passively use social media. Every single account we follow has influence in our lives. And I think we should take that seriously. When we follow someone, we are allowing them a voice in our lives.
If I feel that a person or brand is impacting the way I think or act in a negative way, it is okay to unfollow them! And this doesn’t mean that they’re necessarily doing anything wrong, it could totally be my own personal issues. But life is too short to allow negative influences a spot in our mind on social media.
Who I follow can have a big impact on how I think, what I believe, how I feel, & what I do. It’s not something I want to take lightly.
6. Use time limits for my social apps.
As I write this, Instagram is currently the main social media app I spend any considerable amount of time on. And as addictive as the iPhone can be, a really incredible feature in the settings are how it allows us the ability to set time limits on individual apps.
This is a great way to monitor how much time we spend on social media and build awareness for how much time we may have otherwise spent on it without realizing it.
7. Share with authenticity, but don’t share everything.
We all have different standards on what we do or don’t feel comfortable sharing online & that’s okay. I think it takes wisdom & prudence to know how & when to share what.
When I do share, I want to be authentic, honest, & real. But that also doesn’t mean I have to bare my soul to any and everyone that could see my posts online.
8. Do not let fear guide my decisions.
Wisdom, yes. But not fear. Anytime you share something on social media, you open yourself up to others’ opinions & criticism. But the fear of what others’ may think should not have any standing.
I have personally let the fear of what others think about me guide too many of my life decisions. But I don’t want that to be my story!
The only opinion that should matter to me is God’s. And if my eyes are set on Him, He will in turn guide me to share things in wisdom that will not harm others or open myself or my family up unnecessarily to harm.
Want to create social media guidelines of your own?
Here are a few resources that I have found very encouraging as I’ve crafted my own.
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
Joshua Becker’s blog: 10 Rules for Using Social Media Intentionally
So, now I’m curious! What is ONE guideline you’d like to have for your use of social media? Share in the comments below! <3
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