My Social Media Tips OR How To Control Social Media & Not Let It Control You

I am a fan of social media but I am also wary of it. I'm also a big proponent of making things work for you and not letting them control you. I feel sad when people get so fed up with social media that they feel the only recourse is to delete it all.

Now, some people legitimately do need to delete some or all of their apps for a time to reset. But when you come back from a reset, what changes? What will stop the cycle from repeating itself? What if you could stop yourself from getting that far in the first place?

I believe that we can have a good relationship with social media and things like email and texting. I think there are two main elements that we need to consider: our own tendencies and grace.

All of what I'm going to share comes from my personal experience and picking up some things here and there from others. There is a book - I have not read it but others highly recommend it - called The Tech Wise Family that sounds like a good resource based on what others say.

So what are some things you can do if you genuinely want to take charge of social media?

1. Weekly breaks. This looks like picking one day of the week to avoid social media, email, texting, etc. I know of some people who shut off their phone completely and others (like me) who just stay off certain apps for the day. Many people like to do Sunday or whatever their Sabbath day is.
   
2. Designated times of the day to check in. There was a time when I only went on Instagram once a day! I was really good about that, but I was enslaved by email. I checked in CONSTANTLY! More than a year ago now, I decided to check Instagram and email at certain intervals throughout the day. I picked four times throughout the day when I would give those things my attention and then I wouldn't worry about it the other times. It also keeps me from just "jumping on" when I'm bored.
   
3. Certain days of use. You could take that a step farther and say, "I'm only going to check [insert favorite or problem social media] on these days of the week. I just got a Pinterest account for photography and while I'll pin things I find on websites throughout the week, I only go on the site itself one day a week.
   
4. Gradual increase. I mentioned before that I used to go on Instagram only once a day. That was intentional because I wanted to control my usage and not let it control me! As I felt I was able, I increased my usage. If I get to a point where four times a day is too much (and it sounds like a lot when I write it!), then I'll back off again. If you think you have a good handle on where you're at, and you want to, try increasing it a little bit and see how it goes!! You can always go back.
   
5. Longer breaks. This is one I've never done intentionally. If I'm on a trip, I'm not on Instagram or checking email as much, but I'm still checking in. I know of people who do week-long or even month-long social media fasts. If social media is really hard for you to control, that might be something helpful for you. It might be good to do in general. I really probably should try it sometime.
   

Grace Not Legalism
This is the key. When man-made "rules" go from guidelines to rigid doctrine, we are being controlled by something else in our attempts to not be controlled. There are times when I check email extra or text someone on Sunday. Sometimes, things need attention outside of the "normal" slots. But the rules are there for the normal days, not the unusual circumstances. I'll give you a concrete example.

When I know I have a photo session on Monday and maybe the weather is up in the air (no pun intended), I'll be texting or checking email to communicate with my client. Or if I know that there is a time sensitive email or text, I'll respond to it. But guess what? That RARELY happens! Most things can wait until Monday. And you'd be surprised how quickly your family and friends will learn that you are taking a break for whatever day you pick.

What do you think about all this? Have you tried any of these tips or do you have your own things that work for you? I'd love to hear what you've done!