Positive Social Media Use: How to Create Positive Habits

Did you know that nearly 65% of all Americans (hey, that’s nearly 2/3) who were polled just last July 2020 said that social media has a negative effect on how things are in the U.S. today? That’s scary! They name misinformation, hate, and harassment as primary reasons for this. (Cyber bullying probably falls under hate.) They are concerned about people believing everything they read on social media, not being prepared to discern between those who are just giving uninformed opinions and those who are actually giving positive, constructive information. While younger people in early adulthood were more likely to call social media a positive force, older Americans believe the opposite. Where is the truth? Somewhere in the middle? In any case, we should probably pay attention to how to create positive social media habits and stay safe. Then we can teach our children how to do it!
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Here are a few tips on staying safe and positive:

1. Limit the amount of time we spend on social media each day. A landmark study a few years ago showed that a little over half of social media users thought it had an adverse effect on their behavior, because they were making comparisons between their own lives and what they read from Facebook “friends.” These study participants found it difficult to relax. So set a fair and adequate limit – not too much and not too little. If you find yourself getting agitated or feeling anxious, it’s definitely time to stop!
2. Do not go on social media while you’re working. This applies equally to your kids only they should stay away from social media while in school. This is more challenging in this day and age, as so many kids are learning from home and it may be very challenging for parents to work themselves while keeping tabs on their kids nonstop. Social media is well known for adversely affecting productivity.
3. Educate yourself. Learn as much as you can – time permitting – about technology, especially that part having to do with social media.
4. Talk to your kids. Share with your kids all the concerns you have about social media use, in particular their social media use. While you’re at it, think about your own use and how it affects you – that will give you some insights into your kids’ use.
5. Use parental control. This will help you protect your kids from harm, and you will be thinking about your own use at the same time.
6. Friend and follow your kids on social media. They may not like it, but you can best monitor what goes on by doing this. If your kids say no, you can have some sanctions in place that fit the need (not too much, not too little – just enough to let them know you mean business).
7. Create an identity for your social media use. This means you are creating a reputation for yourself (and your kids are doing likewise). How we represent ourselves to others can make a difference, now and in the future (think future employers looking on your and their social media accounts); essentially, we are marketing ourselves on social media.

Think about all of this. A mistake or a negative experience made can be turned into something positive. This begs the saying, make lemonade out of lemons! If no misadventures have yet occurred, grab hold now and ensure that your experience – and that of your kids – stay safe and healthy and constructive.

As always, please have a happy, holistically healthy day!