Social media can be an excellent way to form connections, reach an audience, and pass the time. Unfortunately, there are times when the excessive use of social media can have a negative effect on your mental health and your personal relationships. That’s when you need to implement what the experts call social media boundaries.
What Exactly Are Social Media Boundaries?
Studies show that using social media too much can increase episodes of depression as you compare your life with others. It can also affect your productivity and make it harder for you to maintain in-person relationships. Social media boundaries are safeguards you can put in place to ensure that you’re not being negatively affected by using online platforms.
10 Ways The Boundaries Can Help You
1. They Prevent Mindless Scrolling
Setting boundaries means asking yourself why you’re logging into a particular platform every time you do it. If you don’t have an answer, then you’re leaving yourself open to mindlessly scrolling social media with no real intention to accomplish anything. That can drain your mental energy.
2. They Help You Manage Your Time Well
You’re probably no stranger to losing track of time when using social media. That means having less time to deal with things that should be given your focus. If you set a time limit on how long you spend on social media, you’ll save yourself the mental torture of having to juggle other tasks.
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3. They Help You Track Harmful Habits
Sometimes, social media is linked to other bad habits like interacting with someone you shouldn’t. If you find that happening, it’s a sign to step away and put some distance between the two of you.
4. They Help You Determine True Friendships
Things can move quickly on social media, which may lead to you thinking some friendships are more genuine than they are. Realistically, it usually takes up to 9 months to know someone well enough for that. Bearing that in mind will help you to determine what you’ll share.
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5. They Emphasize Mindful Communication
Another question to ask yourself before you log in to your account is “What do I want to say?”. It’s a simple question but it saves you the mental anguish of later regretting that quick post that’s getting unwanted attention.
6. They Help You Consider Your Connections
As you’re considering your genuine friendships, you should also categorize people according to the type of connection you want to make. Is this networking or building your brand?
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7. They Deal With What You Post
Social media boundaries also encourage you to pause before posting. Even a clever quip can be
