The Minialist on Social Media
How many times did you click on your Facebook notification bell today? 5 times, 10 times, or fifty-fifty 20 times? You lot certainly don't call back. Most of us have become so fond to social media that we ignore our existent usage rate. To counter this increasingly untenable fixation, we need a minimalist arroyo to social media.
I am technically a millennial , but I exercise remember the "good former days". I grew up in the 90s when kids trounce each other up to claim "territory" on the local soccer field.
If y'all wanted to encounter a friend, y'all called their parents' landline. If you liked someone, you had to physically run into that person.
This all changed in my teens. MySpace ( who remembers that? ), MSN Messenger, and after Facebook took the world past storm. The social media revolution had commenced merely it was even so far from its pinnacle. We are talking mid-2000s here.
It took some other ten years before WhatsApp, Instagram, and Snapchat became ubiquitous modes of communication. There was indeed a time when social media existed just didn't overrule real-life human contact.
This brief history lesson serves as a reminder of the fact that life without or with very trivial social media presence is far from impossible.
Don't get me wrong. I am non trying to negate the benefits of Facebook, Instagram, and co. Social media can be a highly useful tool to connect, advance your business, or grow equally a person.
It's all almost finding a balance between utilizing the perks of social media without falling into the trap of becoming addicted. This is where my minimalist approach to social media comes in.
A minimalist arroyo to social media
Social media and minimalism are not mutually exclusive. Y'all don't have to swear off Facebook to live a minimalist lifestyle . What counts is moderation . On this ground, here are 6 means to adopt a minimalist approach to social media.
Place your reasons for using social media
If you create accounts merely for the sake of being on a certain platform, your social media behavior will consist of aimless scrolling sessions with no terminate in sight.
Commence on a mental journeying to discover out what it is you are looking for on social media. Connecting wild sometime friends? Promoting your business? Sharing funny memes?
In one case your goals are clear, y'all will know what kind of platform you should be using.
Don't employ too many platforms
If yous want to regulate your social media behavior, offset by limiting the number of platforms yous're on. Don't get caught in the buzz every time a new service hits the cyberspace. Carefully choose the platforms that fit your goals and priorities.
For case, if your sole objective is to share pictures, Instagram is probably the all-time pick. If you're keen on organizing events, Facebook might exist a more advisable choice.
If you determine on one specific activity, stick with one platform. The problem with using multiple platforms at the same time is that you lot'll apace forget your desired activeness.
You lot wanted to post a motion picture on Instagram simply at present y'all are reading every tweet from politician X. Yous were adamant to organize a business organization coming together on Skype but now you are watching your friends skateboarding across the living room on Snapchat.
Using as well many platforms at the same time volition distract you and hinder your productivity . This is why my minimalist arroyo to social media includes a service limitation.
In concrete terms, I just use the following platforms:
- Instagram for my activity equally a photographer and this blog .
- Twitter for this blog and to follow some authors.
- Pinterest for this weblog .
- Facebook Messenger to talk to friends.
- WhatsApp to talk to everybody else.
I've eschewed every other platform and I don't regret it. You might observe other apps more appealing depending on your reasons for using social media in the first place. The major claiming is to select the ones you proceeds value from and refrain from using the others.
Choose your friends wisely
Do you lot actually need ane,200 Facebook friends? How many of them practise you lot genuinely know?
When I first welcomed minimalism into my life, an essential pace toward mindfulness was to declutter my social media accounts. In short, I needed to filter out my virtual connections.
Whether it's Facebook, Linkedin, or Messenger, there'south no point in connecting with hundreds of people you don't know. The same goes for people you've met once in a bar in 2012.
Choose your connections according to the rules and goals you set for your social media behavior. Why are you using social media? Does this connection brand sense in the broad context of your social media usage?
Equally an example, you lot've decided to use Instagram as a means to promote your photography. Following politicians and authors won't align with those priorities.
Advisedly curate follows and likes
On par with virtual friends, follows and likes should be chosen deliberately. Don't similar every single folio that pops up on your feed. Curate your likes and follows co-ordinate to categories you are passionate almost.
For instance, like 1 or two sports teams, a couple of clothing brands, and maybe even a politician. Be certain to go on track of your social media interests and don't like a page just to forget most information technology after. This will engender a mount of ataxia on your feeds.
Always keep in mind that near brands and companies utilize social media equally a means to promote their products. The difference between a truthful advertising and an ad bearded every bit a real-life state of affairs is difficult to spot nowadays.
If you are comfortable with being subject to marketing 24/7, no worries. If not, the easiest fashion to stay clear of whatsoever sort of camouflaged marketing is to simply abstain from liking too many pages.
Gear up a daily time limit
My minimalist social media consumption is based on mindfulness. I know how much time I want to spend on social media and I respect that limit.
Set yourself a daily time cap and do your best to stick to that restriction. This will work wonders for your productivity and as well foster your minimalist mindset .
If you don't accept the subject field or willingness to respect your self-defined limit, start high with a limit of 3 hours, and piece of work your manner downwardly toward a tougher curb.
Commence on a social media detox from time to time
Even the most intricate minimalist approach to social media requires a holistic detox every at present and and so.
What does this entail? Uncomplicated, full-on abstinence from social media. I know, this is very difficult in the 21st century. I usually get on a 3-day social media detox jaunt once a year. So far, it has always surpassed my expectations.
The detox boosts your concentration levels in the long run and also gives you the opportunity to dwell in the past – getting a taste of what life was like without never-ending connectivity.
How does this work in practise? Patagonia, Mongolia, or even parts of the European Alps accept very poor connectivity. If you want to be on the safe side, visit a region with fiddling to no internet.
If you don't have the time or resources to go abroad, simply disconnect your internet at home for a couple of days.
Get some books and yous're good to go. This might be harder, but it volition also enable you lot to catch up on some urgent household chores in the process.
Useful links on My Minimalist Approach to Social Media
- read 7 Constructive Principles of Digital Minimalism
- read 6 Transformative Benefits of a Digital Detox
- more in the section "Life"
- read How to Adopt a Minimalist Mindset in x Practical Steps
- read The 10 Principles of Minimalism
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