Social Media Addiction: How To Manage Time Spent Online (Important)


In
this age of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, Pinterest,
Tumblr, and more, Social Media Addiction is fast becoming a social vice
across the world today.
Gone are the days when checking emails,
asking Google and sharing memories on Facebook where the major things
people do online. Now there are a million and one social media apps of
different sorts, yearning for attention and draining data from
smartphones and gadgets.



While
the social media technology has several advantages, it also has its
cons that is fast leading into a syndrome called ‘Social Media
Addiction.
Not everyone who uses social media is an addict but
everyone who uses social media has somehow one time or the other spent
numbers of collective unproductive hours surfing the net.

Social Media Addiction

According
to Statistics by Time Magazine, Facebook users share not only a social
network of over 200 million, but also significantly lower grade point
averages (GPAs) than their non-member classmates.
Funnily,
Jennifer Aniston ended her relationship with John Mayer because he was
addicted to Twitter (as opposed to drugs like other musicians… ). This
brings us to the question, ‘Are you aware you may be suffering from
social media addiction?Social Network Addiction: How To Manage Time Spent Online
Don’t
be quick to debunk that fact, but if you have more internet friends
than real life friends, then you are on your way to your worse
addiction. However, if you have more Facebook friends than real friends,
something must be done. If you spend more time on Twitter than under
the sunlight, it’s time for a change.
Social Media Addiction: Here
are a few tips that can help you monitor your social network use, and
ensure that you are being productive instead of wasting time.

1. Acknowledgement

The
first step to conquering social media addictions is to first recognize
and acknowledge that you are addicted to these platforms.
You need
to realize that these systems are in place for you to use, not to use
you. They are tools, not lifestyles. If you are using the tool for
anything other than it’s intended use, chances are you are wasting time.
This
is not the easiest thing to do when you have lots of platforms to chat
on and over a 100 friends to chat with, but it is doable. Use a
stopwatch and set a limit on how much time you spend on these apps. When
the time is up, log out, regardless of how many more people still want
to chat with you.
Texting on social media is time-consuming as
people can spend hours typing something that could be said within a 2
minutes call. These days people hardly make calls. They even drop
emergency messages on online platforms, when they could have instantly
passed the message via a call.
The same way you mustn’t add every
Tom, Dick and Harry on your friend’s list, you should not be on every
social media platform. Choose Facebook or Myspace, but not both,
Snapchat or Instagram not both, etc.
Social Network Addiction: How To Manage Time Spent Online

5. Work First

Use
social media only when you are done with work, or during free period.
Don’t spend time updating your profile picture or chatting away on a
Monday morning when you have loads of work to clear. This will not only
save you time and increase productivity, but will build self-discipline
as well.

6. Remove Mobile Apps

You don’t really need
Facebook or Twitter app on your phone. Nothing on there can be that
important. Save your social networking for when you are online on your
laptop/desktop. This will not only cut down distractions but will help
you save data as well, considering how expensive telecommunication
companies charge per mb in Nigeria.

7. Spend More Time With Close Friends and Family

You
aren’t the only one who suffers when you spend countless hours on
Instagram. Your family and friends don’t see you, because you are too
busy yearning for online attention.


For once, drop your gadgets and meet up with friends and have a live chat not video calls.
If
you adhere to the above tips for just a few days, you will be marveled
at how productive you will be at work and how calm your spirit will be.
You
would not need to always be online to check if anyone is liking or
commenting on your last post. Their opinions should not define your
purpose of using social media, the monetary worth of your gain on social
media should.

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