How much time do you spend on social media? If you are an average person, it would be 2,5 hours every day. That is 17.5 hours per week and 910 hours (38 days) per year. Imagine how much time you will have every single day if you spent less time on social media. I’ve even heard of people who spend more than 5 hours each day on social media. For some people, it is their job, but for most people, it isn’t. Even when it is your job, I am sure you can spend less time on social media if you want to. Today I am giving you a few reasons why you should spend less time on social media. Trust me, there are enough reasons why you should.
Why you should spend less time on social media
- More time for other things
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, the average person spends 2.5 hours on social media per day. Imagine if you only would spend 30 – 60 minutes on social media per day. That means you will have 1.5 hours of extra time for other things. A lot of people complain they don’t have enough time for everything. But if you reduce your screen time to a minimum, you will finally have the time to do the things you have to do or want to do.
You have the time to read more, maybe you want to start with your new hobby, or maybe you want to start exercising. There was a time I was addicted to my phone too and one time I decided to do a social media detox for the week or weekend. I had to do a couple of things, and before I knew it everything was done. I was way more productive and I got things done.
2. Be more social
The idea of social media is fun, you can stay in touch with people you know and meet new people. It can make you more social. But let’s be honest, most people do not social media that way. Most people scroll mindlessly from one photo/video to another one. Social media are also made to keep you on those apps. The algorithms know what you like and show you those videos/photos. And before you even realize it, it is an hour or two later. And all you did was a little bit of scrolling and maybe like a few posts. And it never stops, your feed gives you more and more. But what if you would put your phone down for a second? Everywhere I go, I see people looking at screens. Each day I see a group of friends hanging out while they all looking at their phones, I see people looking at their screens while walking their dogs or even when they are riding their bikes or are driving a car. Which is not only dangerous but kind of looks weird too, like zombies. What is the point of hanging with your friends when you’re looking at your phone the whole time? Instead of looking at your phone on public transport, look around you.
I grew up without my phone and every single day, people were talking to strangers on the bus. I also had great conversations with strangers I saw every single day because we took the same bus. It depends on how YOU use social media, but in my opinion these days social media is making us less social.
- Better for your mental health
Researchers found that spending a lot of time on social media is linked to mental health issues and I agree. When I was addicted to my phone, I was not feeling great mentally. And as a result, I start to spend even more time on social media. It is a vicious cycle and it is hard to get out of it but I did it. I am not saying you have to delete all of your social media accounts immediately. I still think it depends on how you use it. If you use social media for staying in touch with your family and friends, that is fine. Using social media for work is also fine. If you use it as an escape from reality and you’re just scrolling for hours on TikTok, then maybe you should stop. The next time you are feeling stressed or anxious and you want to look at your phone, find a healthier way to cope with your anxiety. Start meditating, exercising, or reading a book. Those things help with anxiety and will reduce your stress levels.
- You will sleep better
Do you look at your phone before going to bed? How do you feel when you wake up? I know from personal experience that spending time on your phone can contribute to a bad night of sleep. When I read a book or write (on paper) before going to bed, I always have the best night of sleep. So tonight, try a different evening routine. Read a book or do something else that calms you down. Exercising before going to bed is not a great idea either, but there are still so many things you can do without your phone. And see how your sleep quality improves.
5. Quality of your life improves
If you spend 2.5 hours on social media, you will have less time for things you like to do. As I mentioned above, I said I once was addicted and I think I spent more than 5 hours on social media back then. Because of that, I started to feel worse and I wasn’t taking care of myself anymore. If you decide to spend less time on social media, you get more time to exercise, make healthier meals, take care of your mental health and do what you love to do. You will be more productive, which also means you will even get more time for other things. You finally have the time to reflect and discover what you like to do and what you don’t like at all. The options are endless. There are so many benefits to spending less time on social media.
6. Addiction
When we think about addictions people have, we think of drinking alcohol and using drugs. But with modern technology, we can also get addicted to gaming and social media. The definition of addiction is: ‘Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviours. That means you are not in control anymore, this addiction takes over. If you scroll through social media for hours without realizing it or when you have to check your phone every 5 minutes, you might be also addicted. You’re not in control anymore, the addiction is controlling your life. That is the moment you have to realize you are addicted and should spend less time on social media.
Once again, I am not saying you have to delete your social media apps. There are other ways to reduce your screen time. Plan your social media moments and set an alarm for 30 minutes for example. But reducing your screen time is always an excellent idea.
How much time do you spend on social media each day? And do you think you’re addicted to it?
Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash