How to Organize Social Media Viewing and Stop Wasting Time
Social media can be really interesting, and it’s also a great way to keep people connected to one another. But if you spend too much time viewing it you’ll actually waste a lot of time you could be using to do other things that might be more important or valuable to you in a lot of ways.
Friendships, spending time with family, getting work done, and more can all be accomplished when you don’t spend all your time on social media. Here’s how to organize your social media viewing, so you can still enjoy it but you’ll also have plenty of time to get other things done.
1. Take an Honest Look at Your Priorities and What You Need to Do
You might not have a lot going on in your life, or you might be extremely busy. Either way, you still have things you want to do. That means using your time wisely, which isn’t easy to do if you’re spending all your time on social media. It’s not always wasted time, because you can learn a lot off of social media and you can also interact with other people and develop friendships and work connections. But much of the time a person spends on social media is wasted, because they just scroll aimlessly and read things that don’t bring value to their lives.
Are you doing this? If you are, it’s time you looked at what you value, instead.
2. Try Out Different Ideas and Options to Find What Works for You
Not all social media viewing plans or ideas work for every person. Some people only check it once per day. Others check it more often. Some people stop and check whenever they want to, but they don’t spend a lot of time looking at social media each time they check.
There are a number of options to consider, and you have to figure out what works for you. Try some different ideas, and be honest with yourself about how well they work for you. The option that’s good for you shouldn’t be too stressful, but it should help you organize your social media viewing and waste less time.
3. Take Note of How Many Times You Check Social Media Each Day
To really hold yourself accountable, and to determine what you need to do in order to reduce your social media viewing, you’ll need to take note of how many times a day you’re checking social media.
Whether it’s pulling up Facebook on your internet browser or scrolling through Twitter on your phone, it’s something that’s causing you to waste a lot of time you could be using for something else. You’ll probably be surprised at the number of times you look at social media each day, if you’re really honest with yourself and don’t try to avoid checking it because you’re keeping track.
4. Use a Planner or Calendar to Block Out Time for Specific Tasks
When you use a planner or a calendar, you can see all your tasks for the day. If you want social media to be a part of that, you can block out time to check it. For example, you might take 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening to scroll through and catch up.
If that doesn’t work for you, looking at your social media for half an hour around lunchtime could be a better choice. No matter which you choose, though, block that time out on your calendar or in your planner, and then stick to it. Only look at your social media during that time, so you don’t waste time.
5. Use a Browser Tool to Blacklist Certain Sites During Specified Times
For people who really have trouble staying off of social media, there are browser tools and phone apps that can be used to blacklist specific sites during certain hours. That might be a good option for you, at least until you get more comfortable with only checking your social media sites during set times.
If you simply can’t keep yourself from looking at social media, having the sites blacklisted or blocked will stop you from seeing them. Then you won’t get a choice, and you’ll have to do something else.
It’s a good way to make sure you put your phone down and get your work done, or stay off the internet and accomplish the rest of your tasks on your “To Do” list.
Over time, you probably won’t need the blocking anymore, since you’ll be used to staying off social media.
