Healthy Social Media Use for Teen Girls
Social media has now become a nearly unavoidable part of our lives. Add in the fact that we now have multiple generations of humans who have never known life without social media, the stakes are higher than ever when it comes to how we engage with social media and how we protect ourselves from overuse. One of the frequent topics we discuss in therapy sessions at Blossom Into a Better You is healthy social media use for teen girls. So today, we’ll discuss how to set and stick to a few of the most important healthy social media habits.
Establish Screen Time Boundaries
Although your screen time boundaries might be different from someone else’s, it’s important to set some boundaries with yourself on how frequently you’ll engage with social media and other forms of screen time. If you’re feeling glued to your screen try setting a boundary that you won’t carry it with you from room to room. If you need to use the bathroom, leave the phone behind. If you go to the kitchen for a snack, don’t take the phone with you. Not only does this remove the temptation to check for notifications, but it also will likely save you time that you don’t even realize you’re losing by stopping in the middle of tasks to check social media. Once you’ve gotten comfortable with that, consider adding some buffer to your “no social time” in the mornings and the evenings. Can you commit to staying off of social media for the first hour of each day and an hour before bedtime? The benefits of protecting your mind from the flood of information, as you transition from and to rest, are tremendous.
Decide What You Want to Consume
One of the easiest ways to find yourself spending meaningless hours on social media is to scroll without purpose. How often do you take inventory of what you consume? Are you following every creator automatically if you come across one entertaining video? Deciding ahead of time what you want to get out of social media can help you curate your algorithm to show you more relevant information and help you realize when you’re consuming media that falls outside of your social media “wish list.” While you can change what you want to see at any time, simply keeping an awareness is helpful for preventing overconsumption.
Think Before You Post
As your elders have likely reminded you, ” The internet is forever.” Make a promise to yourself that you will not post when you’re in an elevated emotional state. It doesn’t matter how mad your friend made you, how angry you are at your ex, or how annoying your teachers are. Even a story you want to share when you’re calm will likely come out much better, with less chance of regret, if you make yourself cool down before making a post. Ask yourself, “If my whole neighborhood saw this post and knew I made it, would I be ok with it?” If the answer is no, keep it offline.
Be Honest With Yourself
Just because social media is popular and common, doesn’t mean you have to use it the same way everyone else does. It’s important to regularly check in with yourself to see how you feel after using social media or even right before you use it.
Do you feel more connected?
Did you learn something new while using it?
Are you feeling anxious, sad, or insecure after using it?
Does it add value to your life each time you get on or is it distracting you from other things you want to be doing?
These answers will vary by the individual, but they’re helpful guides to let you know if your social media habits need to change or not. If you do find yourself using social media even though it doesn’t make you feel great, know that you’re not alone. Many people struggle with regulating their social media use even when they don’t even really enjoy it. When it’s affecting your mental health, it's definitely time to seek support. To learn more about that, read our recent blog, The Importance of Mental Health: When to Ask For Help.
Prioritize IRL over Social Media
Last but not least, it’s important to remember that social media could disappear at any time. We recently saw a real-life example of this with the temporary US TikTok Ban. Although there is value in communities of all kinds, including on social media, please remember that nothing can replace the importance of in-person connections. Setting social media boundaries in social settings is especially important to make sure you can be present, respectful to those around you, and fully engaged in the moment. If you want to document an event, set aside a few minutes for photos and then put the devices down until after the event. Posting the memories later that day or the next morning can be a fun way to relive the experience while also allowing you to take full advantage of the people you’re spending time with while you have the opportunity to without being distracted by posting.
Ready to take on the challenge of creating better habits around your social media use? We’re proud of you! If you’re looking for support while evaluating your relationship with social media, we’re here to help. Book a session with us at Blossom Into A Better You today!
