How to Use Social Media Responsibly?
As social media becomes more and more ubiquitous, the more difficult it has become to manage our content consumption and screen time. Though social media is an incredible resource, it can quickly take a toll on your health and overall wellbeing, if used in reckless abandon.
So, resist the urge to stay plugged in round the clock and follow these few healthy social media R-E-S-P-O-N-S-I-B-L-Y instead:
R- Remind yourself that nothing is private online.
First and foremost, never put anything online you don’t want your educators, future employers, peers, and parents to see. Deleted items can still live on servers. People can take screenshots of posts. Private accounts can be hacked. Nothing is 100% private online. (By Dave Delaney)
E- Educate yourself about healthy habits.
Focus more on your real-life friends and follow people and pages that bring you joy and negativity. Reflect seriously on what you post before you post it.
S- Set clear usage limits.
As with most things, moderation is the key when it comes to healthy social media usage. Create a social media routine by spending only a fixed amount of time online for personal use. It can be in the morning, during your commute or before dinnertime, whichever is most convenient for you.
P- Pause before you hit ‘post’.
Instead of instantly posting, snapping or tweeting everything that comes to your mind, stop and reflect for a few minutes on what you’re going to share on social media.
O- Online or Offline be kind to others and to yourself.
Use the opportunity to inspire and motivate yourself to work harder towards achieving your own dreams. It’s also important to remember that no matter how picture-perfect a person’s life appears on social media, all of us have real, unedited parts of our lives that are raw, difficult and messy.
N- Never post criminal activities.
Remember that when you are using social media don’t post anything that is evidence of unlawful activity. Be careful out there on the Internet. Posting unlawful messages or evidence of unlawful conduct can land a tween or teen in hot water.
S- Spread love, not hate.
Share uplifting or positive posts in support of causes, subjects and persons you care about.
I- If you don’t have something nice to say, it’s best not to say it.
Delete anything that’s irrelevant, embarrassing or disrespectful. Turn your social media feed into a positive space by weeding out toxic people from your profile, sharing thoughtful and encouraging posts and engaging in meaningful conversations with like-minded people.
B- Become a Source of Useful Information.
When using social media, be a source that gives useful information to others, not a drain that wastes other’s time like posting infinite hate and gossip messages.
L- Limit the time you spend scrolling each day.
Nix mindless scrolling by disabling unnecessary app notifications and logging into a site only when you have to. Choose to be productive each day.
Y- Your smartphone is downright rude.
Resist the urge to check your phone every ten seconds when you’re with your friends or family. The next time you’re spending time with a loved one, put your phone away and give them the attention they deserve.
A lot of responsibility comes with using the internet. Parents and educators should take a proactive approach and help kids find positive ways to use social media before they get their first digital device or social media account. Establishing digital boundaries and open communication from the start could help prevent them from posting something that could cost them a dream opportunity in the future. (July 15, 2020 By Smart Social).