4 WAYS THAT YOU CAN FIND AND CREATE POSITIVITY ON SOCIAL MEDIA

There was a time when social media was only really used as a method of checking in with friends and family members now and then. Today, social media still maintains that same purpose, but it has also evolved into so much more. 

Social media is where many people get their news. It’s where they come to satiate their pop culture cravings. It’s the place where they establish connections and relationships. 

The truth is that social media has actually brought us many good things, but it has also ushered in its fair share of bad. 

Sadly, many of our social media relationships don’t exist outside of these digital networks. Social media has become a medium where people can start heated arguments with others they don’t know, a place where they can speak their minds freely and often without repercussions – all from behind a computer screen. 

With all of the negative media, content, and comments floating around on social media, it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to end a session feeling as though you have gained something or have been impacted in a positive way. 

Kindness, courtesy, and positivity still exist on social media, but much of it is hidden amongst all of the violence and cruelty. The solution? Tailor your social media usage in a way that forces you to see the hopeful and positive elements once again. 

And here are 4 ways that you can achieve just that. 

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Be Smart About Your Content Consumption 

The things that sell are often the things that are the worst for us. Sometimes we eat foods that we know are bad for our health, but they’re too difficult to resist.  

The same goes for social media. Content creators are well aware that violent, shocking or controversial content can be addictive to users, so many they focus their efforts on producing this kind of content. 

How do you avoid the negativity when publishers are working so hard to ensure that you encounter it? Here are just a few “rules” you can implement for yourself: 

• If it looks harmful, don’t bother. It’s not going to benefit you.
• If it looks like clickbait, it probably is. Again, don’t bother!
• Don’t engage in arguments if they’re going to bring about more damage than good.
• Turn notifications off
• Set times for social media
• Use a social media blocking app for certain times of the day

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Reduce Time Spent on Social Media

Much of the detriment caused by social media is relative to the amount of time we spend using it. Nothing good can come from staring mindlessly at a screen for hours on end. 

But how much social media is too much? 

Of course, the only person who can make that determination is you. Only you know your limits and how much social media is unhealthy in your circumstance. But if you're looking to reduce your time spent on social media (and in most cases, this is a good idea) here are a few ways to help you combat your urges: 

• Turn notifications off
• Set times for social media
• Use a social media blocking app for certain times of the day

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Create a Healthy News Feed 

There are many times when we accept friend requests from people we don’t know very well. Perhaps we met them at a conference once or encountered them within a group setting hosted by closer friends. But even if we only vaguely know them, we still accept their requests, right? We feel as though it’s the polite thing to do. 

And you shouldn’t feel guilty about that. But when we add a new friend on social media, we also take on all of their content in our news feeds – which, of course, may be both positive and negative. 

500 “friends” later and our news feeds are filled with content we don’t actually want . . . 

Well, the good news is that on many social media platforms you can make tweaks to your news feed settings without breaking ties with people. If you notice that one person posts a lot of negative content, look for an option to hide his or her content from your feed. Do this for enough people, and you might find that your feed is a much happier place! 

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Remember That It Starts With You 

If you want social media to have a more positive effect on you, why don’t you start by being a positive influence? When you post something new, ask yourself whether it’s going to benefit the people around you.

Realistically, you’re not going to make social media a safe haven for all people . . . But if you can make an impression on one person, it will have been worth it. Not to mention, if you make a habit of creating, posting, and sharing uplifting content, it’s going to have a long-term effect on you and your outlook. For you, social media will no longer be a threat. It will be an opportunity. 

These are just 4 simple ways that you can start gleaning positivity from your cluttered social media feeds. Change the way you consume, and you’ll change the way that social media impacts you.