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Course: Social media literacy > Unit 3
Lesson 7: Take action! Take control of your social media useHow do I keep with it?
Google ClassroomSome techniques to help you stick with your goals
How do I keep with it?
"I have disabled my account for months on end and feel GREAT and productive and free without the app.
However, as soon as I get it back, I fall back into my old ways."
-Ana, 20, Elizabethtown, United States
Social media relies on our engagement with other people to be successful, and so its addictive tools are built on our need to connect. Even if you set a realistic, attainable goal, there are lots of ways that social media can pull you back in.
Working in a group with a shared goal is a great way to ensure everyone’s success. If you’re working with a group of people, you can cheer for each other and keep each other motivated.
You can also find replacement projects together. For instance, you can gather five friends to get off TikTok and text videos to one another instead. Or you can work with your family to institute a household rule like no phones after dinner.
Once you’ve set your goal, some simple changes can help you work toward it without the interference of persuasive techniques:
- Change settings on specific apps
- Turn off autoplay on YouTube.
- Turn off notifications on Instagram.
- Turn off read receipts on WhatsApp.
- Use Apple’s Screen Time or Android’s Digital Well-Being tools to be more mindful of how you’re spending time on your devices.
There are lots of tools to help you on your journey to healthier technology use. For more ideas and tips, check out the Center for Humane Technology’s Take Control page.
Another way to help you take control of your social media use is to keep a journal of how it’s going.
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📔 KEEP A JOURNAL:
- Keep track of your new usage. Every day, write down how you’re doing with your goal.
- If you have new insights, write them down.
- If you’re struggling to meet your goal, ask a friend or adult for help. Together, discuss why you might be struggling. For instance, why did you keep reaching for your phone? Why did you open that app? You may find a new strategy to help you meet your goal.
Want to join the conversation?
how will you fix your addiction(5 votes)
There are many ways to fix an addiction to social media and platforms such as youtube co1mma facebook comma instagram, ETC.
Some ways which you can do this Include:
Putting a time limit on apps
Logging your screen time so you can see just how much time you're spending on it that you can be spending doing other things
Asking a friend to help you do other things outside of social media
And not worrying about what other people's opinions are Of you.
Social media can also be very bad for self-esteem.Social media society has standards for people that are unrealistic and Nine Times out of 10 everything on there is fake.(4 votes)
Why do we need a journal?(1 vote)