The average internet user of today spends a rough estimate of 2 and a half hours of their time on social media daily. Applications like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and even YouTube are collectively acting like our daily time thief. Although social media has connected us to a whole new world of endless possibilities, many would argue that it has left us disconnected from the world we were brought into. Finding a balance between the two worlds can be crucial in this day and age, it would only do us good to reap the benefits from both. 

Learning what to prioritize and when to prioritize can transform your time management. This leads to more time and energy channeled outside of social media. By starting your day with asking yourself a simple question like: “What do I need to do today?”, you’re already initiating productivity away from social media apps. Once you’ve set your mind on completing tasks, you’d be surprised how easy it can be to deviate from the temptation of resorting to procrastinating on your mobile device.

Social media eats away much of our free time, but the only ones allowing them to do so are ourselves. Finding new forms of entertainment to keep us occupied is a great way to counter this. You can try experimenting with different solo activities like reading and photography or engage in group hobbies like joining clubs or charitable organizations. The goal is to steer away from social media in a way where it no longer becomes a time stealer, but more of a time filler. 

Re-choosing the apps we install on our phones can be an important call to make. We mustn’t always give in to FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and remember that clutter in our phone storage does no better than clutter in our homes. Being too harsh on yourself isn’t going to help anyone, but you know what you need better than anyone else, and that also applies to what you don’t need either. Spring cleaning isn’t just for our closets anymore, our phones need a seasonal change every now and then, too!

Appreciating time away from social media can ironically increase its value. The little amount of time you end up dedicating to using your phone becomes more precious and perhaps more meaningful. Social media is only evil if you don’t use it for good; you fight against an unhealthy addiction and experience through your senses rather than through your phone.  You learn to enjoy life with and without your social media, which can be a refreshing change in routine.