Most of us have social media accounts. It could be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, etc. Regardless of how few or many you have, they must be contributing to your happiness! It can be easy to compare yourself to other people you see online and begin to feel inadequate in some way. Social media can also become a place where others can be rude and even abusive towards you through comments.
In the same way that social media can be a great tool to connect with topics and people that make you happy, it can also open the door to negativity. It is why it’s so important to be aware of and weed out the bad stuff from your socials when needed! Below are some tips on how you can purge your socials.
Unfriend and Unfollow
Sometimes we become friends or follow people for no real reason. It could be a friend of a friend we don’t know, or just someone we followed/friended a long time ago that isn’t relevant anymore. Go through your friend/following list and decide whether you want to stay connected to each one. If you want to disconnect, do it! No law says you have to be friends with certain people or accounts for forever.
Block When Needed
If someone continues to influence your socials negatively, BLOCK THEM. The feature is there for a reason, and you don’t have to put up with harassment, abuse, or any other kind of consistent negativity on your pages. It goes for friends and family you know in real life as well. It is okay—and healthy—to have and establish boundaries with people close to you. Just be polite if they ask why, and make sure they understand that it’s not a personal attack, just something you had to do for your own mental and emotional health.
Choose Inspiration Over Discouragement
Maybe there’s a positive account you follow, but you find yourself being discouraged instead of inspired. You wish you were more like this person somehow, and it makes you feel down. It is an excellent opportunity to practice some self-awareness! Ask yourself why you are letting whatever it may be get to you. Then figure out how you can overcome that. Be open and honest with yourself in these instances, and you will find it much easier to take things as opportunities to grow instead of feeling like you aren’t good enough.
As a final thought, remember that what you usually see posted on social media is a “highlight reel” of carefully staged and filtered moments that don’t represent real life. Nobody has a perfect life, and everyone has their insecurities to get through. I hope you are inspired to turn your socials into a haven of joy and positivity for yourself!
Until next time, stay safe, and keep the faith.
