By Did you ever log on to Facebook or Instagram and feel deep fulfillment while you were doing so? No, it is not a tool to give you satisfaction. When it’s been a while since you’ve used social media almost every day for more than a couple of hours, hence it’s time to practice minimalism for your social media usage. The world was a different place before social media was introduced to us. Nowadays, we can spy on our family and friends’ lives through social media platforms. You can check on people you’ve never met before. There’s no offense intended, but you’ve probably been the nosy one at least once in your life.
However, there is always the question; can social media make us more connected and happier?
No, Social media is also capable of making us feel happy and lonely, connected and sad both at once.
Learn how social media works
Several studies have found that excessive use of social media can lead to mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, and insomnia. We look at these sites so frequently because of dopamine, which is the brain’s natural reward system.
Where does this chemical come from?
Dopamine is a chemical that regulates our sense of pleasure. Sites like Twitter and Facebook are designed to stimulate your pleasure centers. Clicking on them keeps you interested. As you like them, you receive positive reinforcement. The desire for social approval increases when others comment or when you see others receiving many comments.
Consequently, social media addiction may be considered a psychological issue for these reasons. Social media minimalism could be justified even more by those shady things. Hence minimalists keep checking on their social media use.
Here's how minimalist uses social media
1) They identify reasons to use the social network
Your social media behavior will consist of aimless scrolling sessions without any end in sight if you start accounts just for the sake of being on a certain platform. Find out what it is you are looking for on social media by going on a mental journey.
Are you looking to connect with old friends?
Are you looking to promote your business?
Or do you enjoy sharing funny memes?
Once you know what your goals are, you will know what platform to use.
2) There are not too many platforms they use
Begin by limiting the number of social media platforms you are on you regulates your behavior on social media. Do not get sucked into the hype every time a new service is launched online. Be careful to choose the platform that suits your needs best. Instagram, for example, is probably a good choice if your sole purpose is to share photos. You may want to opt for Facebook instead of Twitter if you are planning events. Stick to one platform if you decide on a specific activity. If you use multiple platforms simultaneously, you’ll forget what you were trying to accomplish immediately.
Now you are reading every tweet from a politician while you wanted to post a picture on Instagram. Despite your best efforts, you are now watching videos on Snapchat of your friends skateboarding across the living room and skipping on organizing a business meeting on Skype. You will be distracted and your productivity will be hindered if you use too many platforms at once. For this reason, a minimalist approach to social media includes limiting which services you use.
3) Their friends are carefully chosen
How many Facebook friends do you need? Are you friends with all of them? What is the purpose of adding those people? Well if you don’t need all of them then decluttering social media accounts is an essential step toward mindfulness. Your virtual connections needed to be removed. You do not need to connect with hundreds of people you don’t know on social media sites such as Facebook, Linkedin, and Messenger. If you met someone once in a bar in 2010, it’s the same as if you met them again today.
Establish the rules and goals you set for your social media behavior before choosing your connections.
What is your goal with social media?
Do these connections make sense in the broader context of your social media use?
Let’s say you are interested in marketing your photography on Instagram. Keeping up with politicians and authors won’t align with your goals.
4) Followers and likes are carefully curetted
Following and liking should be carefully chosen just like virtual friends. Minimalists are very selective about which pages they like on the feed. Choose your likes and followers based on what interests you. A few sports teams, some clothing brands, and perhaps even a politician.
Don’t forget about your social media interests, and don’t just like a page and then forget about it. Your newsfeed will become cluttered. It is important to remember that most companies and brands use social media to promote their products. Today it is hard to discern the difference between a real ad and one that is disguised as a real-life situation. No worries if you are okay with being subjected to constant marketing. You can avoid any type of camouflaged marketing by simply abstaining from liking too many pages if you wish.
5) They set a time limit for each day
Conscious consumption of social media is the basis of my minimalistic approach. In terms of social media, you need to know how much time you want to devote to it and then you respect that limit. Make sure to stick to the time limit you set for yourself daily.
By doing so, you will be more productive as well as embrace a minimalist mindset. You can start high with a limit of 2 hours, and work down to a smaller limit if you do not have the discipline or willingness to respect your self-defined limit.
6 From time to time, they engage in a social media detox
No matter how intricate the minimalist approach is to social media, a detox now and then is necessary. How do you do it? Completely cutting off your social media usage. This is extremely difficult in this age of technology for most people. One or two times a year, one goes on a 3-day social media detox. You will be amazed at how well it works.
In the long run, the detox aims to improve your concentration levels and also allow you to dwell in the past – experiencing what life was like before never-ending connectivity. How is the detox accomplished?
Simply uninstall all the social media apps and you are ready to go.
There are two major benefits of Social Media Minimalism
1) The digital minimalist has a deeper relationship with others
There is a funny thing that happens when you stop staring at screens so much. The world around you becomes more interesting. Perhaps you arrange a get-together with them. Instead of sending them a message on Facebook, you visit their house. Rather than sending awkward Snapchats, you eat a meal together and talk about stuff. Most of the social interactions of digital maximalists are done through digital devices. When digital minimalists use their devices less, they interact more with the real world. Relationships grow deeper as you interact more in the real world.
Social media is quite time-consuming, which is why taking breaks from it occasionally is being suggested. While you’re laying in bed or on the couch, you’re scrolling? Why aren’t you doing something productive? It is possible to use that time for getting ready for the day, listening to music, reading a book, or anything else you choose. However, social media prevents you from doing that. Likewise, digital minimalists gain a great deal of time back because we have a purposeful approach to checking our email and browsing the web. When we are online, we do so for a specific reason. It is not simply a way to pass the time.
Conclusion
Those who choose to be digital minimalist and maintain control over their social media users have realized the pros and cons of social media. We didn’t realize when we consumed the internet and social media to the point where it started to negatively affect our lives how important it has become to our lives. Social media is essential for marketing and almost all businesses, but we have to keep it in check when we use it for personal use. Social media use by the minimalist is wise and tactful. Minimalists add value to their lives through social media. Social media is kept to a minimum and does not negatively affect their lives.