It can seem like the whole world is on social media these days. Whether you are starting a business, hoping to become an influencer, or just posting videos for fun, it seems that a lot of people have at least one social media account if not more. However, it’s important to understand how to use social media wisely.
While social media can cause you to lose track of time, it doesn’t have to be a negative experience. Find out what to do to use social media wisely and how you can benefit from being mindful about your social media use.
Around 59% of the world’s population uses social media. Using social media wisely can help you learn from and connect with others all over the globe.
While the doom scroll of social media can be bad for your mental health, using social media wisely can help you increase your knowledge and network.
Being intentional with your social media use can help you spend less time on your screen and more time on the things you care about the most.
So how do you avoid just scrolling on TikTok and not engaging in a way that helps you? Follow our 11 steps below:
1. Improve your finances
One of the smartest ways to use social media wisely is to use it to help you improve your finances. There are a lot of personal finance influencers on social media who post their money management tips about budgeting, credit cards, and more.
While they aren’t financial advisors and you should definitely do your own research before making a financial decision, financial influencers can help answer basic finance questions.
2. Learn about travel destinations
Another benefit of using social media is discovering new places.
Planning a new trip? Following influencers based in that area or checking out hashtags around a particular destination can help you discover new areas, restaurants, or unique places you may not have discovered otherwise.
3. Discover books
One way to learn how to use social media wisely is to use it to discover new authors and books. TikTok, for example, has a number of book influencers in a community called BookTok.
These people will recommend and review books in all types of genres, from young adult to fantasy, to historical fiction.
4. Get ideas for cooking
Trying to think of what to cook for dinner? Social media can give you ideas for new recipes and cooking techniques to try out.
Have a lot of lentils or chickpeas at home and not sure what to do with them? Do a search on TikTok or Instagram to find new recipes and ideas for how to cook.
5. Improve your style
Another way to learn how to use social media wisely is to use it to improve your style.
There are tons of fashion influencers who give tips on everything from how to apply foundation, to determining your body type, to figuring out how to dress one item multiple ways.
6. Build your network
Social media is an excellent way to network and connect with other people, both online and offline. Interested in joining a club, like a writing workshop, drawing club, or book club?
Chances are they have a social media account and will post about upcoming events and activities you can participate in.
Always use caution when meeting people
Of course, you should always be careful when meeting up with anyone you meet through social media and use common sense.
Try to meet in a group and meet in a public space. And always be sure someone knows where you are and who you’re meeting.
7. Interact with others
If you want to use social media wisely, one idea is to use your social media accounts to communicate with others.
Instead of just posting photos and scrolling, stop to read the caption. Think of something to say to that person in response, or read the comments and respond.
Be a positive influence
Use the time to interact with others in a positive and uplifting way. If you have social media for your brand, try to ask questions of your audience and respond to any questions or comments you receive.
8. Find a job
Another way to use social media wisely is to use it to look for jobs. You can share your resume online, let your friends and colleagues know that you are looking for a job, and show your personality online to help you stand out as a candidate.
You can also use social media to search for specific jobs. LinkedIn is a great place to look for jobs, and you can find job postings on Twitter as well.
9. For social good
One way to use social media is to use to promote a good cause and educate others about issues happening around the world.
You can let your followers know about a cause that you care about, help promote and raise donations for a charity, or promote events happening in your area, like a food drive.
10. To promote your business
If you run your own business, social media is a great way to promote it. Having a social media presence can help you connect with your customers and let them know about upcoming products or events.
And it’s a great way to give them a behind-the-scenes look at your business. You can also use social media to get tips and ideas from your customers and to do market research for new products.
11. Discover local events
Interested in checking out local events or concerts? Social media is a great way to discover what is happening in your area.
You can search for markets, concerts, or special events that are happening on Facebook and Twitter.
Instagram can also be a good place to find events from your favorite local places, like a special brunch menu or holiday-themed markets.
7 tips to manage your time on social media
If you’ve found yourself pouring over your social media instead of using it for specific projects, then you may want to consider managing how you spend your time on social media.
Rather than spending a lot of time online scrolling for no reason, incorporate these steps to make sure you are making the most of your time:
1. Stop scrolling
Social media can be a time suck in part because it can be so entertaining. Have you ever found yourself on TikTok only to suddenly realize two hours went by? It’s certainly happened to me.
One way to be mindful of your social media use is to stop scrolling. Instead, be more intentional and mindful about when you go online.
Have a purpose
Rather than just going online just to be online, check your social media with a purpose. That can mean checking a specific account, sending a message to a friend, or searching a hashtag.
Whatever the reason, the idea is to have a reason to use your social media instead of mindlessly scrolling.
2. Unfollow accounts that are negative
Another way to learn how to use social media wisely is to unfollow accounts that are toxic. That means any accounts that make you feel bad when you are looking at them.
Never feel like you have to follow someone. You can be as active on social media as you want and that includes the number of accounts you follow.
Only follow positive accounts
Instead, be intentional about what you want out of social media.
Do you want to follow artists to get inspired for your own art hobby? Or maybe you’re decorating and want to follow interior designers to get ideas for your own house. Or perhaps you just love baby cows and ducks and like to follow farming accounts.
Regardless of the reason, make sure to follow accounts that make you feel good about yourself and inspire you.
4. Don’t let notifications rule your life
Have you ever set your phone next to you and tried to focus on something, only to be distracted by constant dings and banners lighting up your phone? If so, then it might be a good idea to turn off your phone notifications.
Getting lots of social media notifications can be very distracting, especially when you are working or trying to focus on a particular activity.
Instead, turn off all social media notifications and only keep notifications for important things like your bank or phone calls.
5. Set time away from your screen
Using social media wisely can also mean finding time to be away from your phone.
That can mean turning off your phone when you are eating dinner with your family, or putting your phone in the other room when you are sleeping so you aren’t tempted to scroll social media first thing in the morning.
Social media detox days
You can also have social detox days when you completely log off from your social media accounts and delete them from your phone and tablet.
Instead focus on doing things that don’t require a screen, like having a game night with your best friends, going on a walk, reading a book, or going to a museum.
6. Limit your usage
Another way to use social media wisely is to limit how often you are online. On average, social media users spend over two hours during the day on social.
Instead of scrolling whenever you are bored or have downtime, be intentional about when you are on social media.
Build social media time into your schedule
That can mean only looking at TikTok or Twitter while you are having breakfast, or having a few work breaks scheduled when you allow yourself to check Facebook. The idea is to schedule your social media usage and be intentional about your phone use.
Leverage these tips on how to use social media wisely!
There are several benefits to learning how to use social media wisely. From discovering new recipes to books to connecting with others, social media offers a wealth of information. But it can also be time-consuming.
Instead of scrolling on your phone, be intentional with how you use your social media time. Use social media with a purpose and use it to expand your knowledge of things like finance and to network with others!
