Do you remember the time when having a social media account like Orkut and Facebook used to be a privilege? Social Media brought people closer but have we forgotten the real purpose of social media. Social media has become a burger for our brain. Today kids and young adults have become addicted to social media. The use of social media whether it is offline or online curbs the experience of the real world.
Social media addicts find it easier to interact with people on social media or on texts rather than face to face. Several people don’t seem to understand that there is a whole real world outside their gadgets. This addiction is very sad and can lead to anxiety and depression if not done anything about it.
But how do we know how much time is too much time?
There is no denying the fact that the internet utilizes half of the time of our day. There are several people who know how to manage their social media along with their work, school, sports, etc. However, there is a fair share of people that have uncontrollable urge to be online which can lead to pathological behavior.
Signs of a social media addict
Browsing the internet or a specific website whenever there is a window.
Getting defensive about how much time is spent online
Spending money on games online or gadgets that can be used for other necessities
Aggressive behavior towards the people around and failing to control it.
Having euphoria in games and social media activities.
Losing the track of time while they are online.
Sacrificing sleep for being on social media.
Aggression when they are interrupted by a bad connection.
Compulsive checking of messages throughout the day.
Time to be spent with families and friends being spent online.
How one can curb the addiction to social media?
1. Set Boundaries
Define how much time you want to be surfing the internet. Be it random videos or social media activities, you need to define a boundary. Once you define it, stick to it. This way you are teaching yourself some control.
2. Ask someone to watch you
You need teamwork to fight your social media addiction. Ask your friends and family if they can watch you so that you can stick to your goals. They can keep a track on you and hold you accountable for your activities.
3. Disable the Notifications
The one effective thing you should try is disabling the notifications. Several times we are tempted to open the app or go online just by the notification on the screen. Hence disabling the notifications can prove to be very helpful.
4. Delete the app
Deleting the application from your phone can prove to be the most effective method once you have tried all of the previous ways to avoid your addiction. This will help if you are continuously opening your newsfeed and refreshing it again and again.
