How to Use Social Media Positively

  1. Balancing Act – Have a limit on social media time. A study about social media usage indicated that those who spent less than 2 hours on social media a day, reported having lower levels of depression and anxiety. Try using apps which limit social media use or moving the apps from your home screen so they are out of sight.
  2. Curate Your Feed – Have awareness of what content you expose yourself to. Regularly viewing content that can trigger anxiety and feelings of inadequacy can lead to negative impacts on mental health.
  3. Report & Block Bullies! – Cyberbullying is not ok! Help make your online space safe by reporting unacceptable behaviour.
  4. Try Not to Compare Yourself to Others - It’s important to remember that social media rarely reflects all aspects of anyone’s life authentically; rather just a small highly edited snapshot of their life!
  5. Follow Accounts that Make You Feel Good – Social media is here to stay; it is important to tailor your accounts to positive content to inspire and motivate to shape your usage into a positive one. 
  6. Cull Negative or Triggering Accounts – To keep your usage a positive experience it is important to try and minimise exposure to accounts that may invoke negative feelings.

For more information go to https://www.beyondblue.org.au/personal-best/pillar/in-focus/6-tips-on-how-to-use-social-media-in-a-positive-way  & https://au.reachout.com/articles/5-ways-to-tame-your-social-media-use