Social Media: Is it the devil we make it out to be?

Ok, I’ll be the first to admit, that if utilised poorly, social media can be a detriment to our quality of life, relationships, productivity and attention span. 

Yes, it’s a time-killing, attention-grabbing, narcissism enhancing blight on society. 

However. 

Like most things, if you stop and assess the pros and cons, there are just as many positives as there are negatives. 

Everything is a poison, what matters is the dose. 

Social media is no different. 

Social media has given us the opportunity to connect ourselves to almost every corner of the earth. 

We are able to communicate with friends, family, and colleagues almost instantly. 

Via video, audio or text message, our ability to communicate is getting easier and easier. 

We are able to share our thoughts our passions our wins and our losses, free to anyone who wants to listen, read or watch. 

As a business owner, social media is integral to our mission of making the world a better place. 

Whether it be connecting with our incredible community ‘The Virtus Family’ via our Facebook group, or communicating with the wider community on our Facebook page. 

We are regularly connecting with the world leaders in our field and many others via Instagram stories, direct messaging and content. 

Social media has allowed Virtus to spread our message, grow our vision and share content such as the ‘Virtus Performance Podcast’ to listeners all around the world. 

Chances are you’re reading this on a social media platform... 

At the end of the day, the way you approach social media will determine your experience. 

The positives are there, so I don’t think going cold turkey is the answer ❄️ 🦃 

If you find yourself stuck scrolling, here are my 6 tips to cutting down on your social media time.

1. Grayscale

Most of us jump onto Instagram or Facebook to see the pretty photos, videos, and that little red notification circle. By changing your phone's settings to Grayscale, all of the pretty colours no longer exist, changing the way your brain experiences each post. 

2. Remove all notifications

This is a simple one. No vibration, no red circle, no beep beep. You actually have to seek out your little hits of dopamine. 

3. Limit your platforms

If you’re on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Periscope, WhatsApp, Tinder and Linked in, all at once, your chances of disconnecting are almost nil. Identify what is important to you, and eliminate the noise. 

4. Set your intention

Before you unlock your phone and start scrolling, ask yourself ‘What is my intention’ is it to check notifications? To send messages? To write a post? To upload a photo? Once you’ve identified what your intent is, be mindful of completing the task and then putting the phone on. 

5. Move the apps

A simple way to stay mindful is to move your most used apps every few weeks. Put them on the last page, deep into a folder, creating a need to be mindful of what you are doing as you swipe to find them. 

6. Be disciplined

Being disciplined is giving yourself a command, and following through with what you said you would do. ‘I’m just checking my notifications’ ‘I’ll give myself 5 minutes’ ‘I’ll leave my phone in my car’ ‘ I’ll turn on aeroplane mode for the afternoon’ whatever you say you will do, do it, regardless of the temptations.

Social media, good, bad or both. Let me know what you think. 

Let’s stop the pessimism when it comes to social media, that doesn’t make anything or anyone better.