Lately I’ve been reflecting on my social media engagement—not in the sense of comments or likes, but in the way I use stuff like Instagram and TikTok in my everyday life. Checking in with myself on this is helpful because it makes me more conscious of how I’m choosing to use social media. I’ve found that creating these guidelines helps me have a healthy relationship with socials. Sharing them here in case it sparks some ideas for your own social life.
1. Use the face-to-face rule
If I wouldn’t say something to another person’s face or among other people, I don’t post it online. Simple as that.
2. Choose positivity
Like anyone else, I have frustrations and disappointments, but I keep them off the internet. When I was younger, I’d sometimes tweet to make myself feel better when I was feeling down—and it did, for a brief moment. But in retrospect, I was letting my immature side come out, and it often made me feel worse in the long run. These days, I’d rather use social media to spread positivity or raise awareness about issues I care about. It feels a lot better on every level.
3. Don’t take things personally
This one can be hard, but I really try to keep negative comments from affecting me. Easier said than done, I know—but ultimately, a stranger on the internet doesn’t know who we are, so why should we give weight to their mean tweets? Whenever I feel myself starting to take a comment personally, I know it’s time to log off for the day. When you step away from your phone and separate that internet noise from your actual life, you create a healthy separation.
What about you? Are there any rules you’ve created to make your social media use a positive part of your life? Let us know on Instagram.