{"id":141217,"date":"2019-09-20T09:50:27","date_gmt":"2019-09-20T04:20:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.excelsioreducation.org\/?p=141217"},"modified":"2026-03-14T07:49:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T07:49:38","slug":"social-media-addiction-how-to-use-social-media-the-right-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/excelsioramericanschooladmissions.com\/blogs\/social-media-addiction-how-to-use-social-media-the-right-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Social Media Addiction: How To Use Social Media The Right Way"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n
\"\"<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Imagine this – You\u2019re studying. Buried deep in your books. An hour or so passes, and your cell phone beckons to you. \u201cOh well, a few minutes won’t hurt, I\u2019m due a break anyway.\u201d, you say to yourself. As you drown yourself in the addictive world of social media, the next thing you know, minutes turned to hours\u2026<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

You might think \u201cno way! That\u2019s not me!\u201d but statistically, you\u2019re already on track to do just that. Based on their current daily behaviour, an average person will spend more than five years of their life using social media, according to a study in Mediakix.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

But you can change that. It\u2019s not like you\u2019re addicted to social media, right? Not so fast.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Adam Alter explores the rise in \u201caddictive technology\u201d in his book, Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cThe people who create and refine tech, games, and interactive experiences are very good at what they do,\u201d says Alter. \u201cThey run thousands of tests with millions of users to learn which tweaks work and which ones don\u2019t\u2014which background colours, fonts, and audio tones maximize engagement and minimize frustration. As an experience evolves, it becomes an irresistible, weaponized version of the experience it once was. In 2004, Facebook was fun; today, it\u2019s addictive.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The phenomenon is closely linked to smartphone addiction. A recent study found that on average people touch their mobile phones 2,617 times a day. Social media comprised 22 per cent of these interactions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

But when do you cross the line from \u201cheavy use\u201d into addiction? Psychology Today explains addiction as \u201ca condition that results when a person ingests a substance or engages in an activity that can be pleasurable but the continuation of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary responsibilities and concerns, such as work, relationships, or health.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

So are you experiencing social media addiction?<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Ask yourself this: Has social media ever \u201cinterfered with ordinary responsibilities and concerns,\u201d like watching your child\u2019s soccer game, cooking dinner, replying to a work email, or actively engaging in conversation with a friend who\u2019s right in front of you? If so, you\u2019re likely in good company: there are an estimated 2.46 billion social media users worldwide. That\u2019s a lot of likes and shares!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Here\u2019s what you can do to take your life back:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

– Log Your Time<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

You could manually track your time, but if you want an honest assessment of how much time you spend on social media, an app like Antisocial <\/strong>or In Moment<\/strong> might be easier. It might seem ironic to use a mobile app to minimize the number of times you swipe and tap, but give it a shot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

– Set Limits<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If you feel that your social media use is detrimentally affecting other aspects of your life, set some limits.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Try an app like Freedom. It works across multiple devices and helps you manage access to certain websites and apps across their desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones versions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

For computer use, there are browser extensions that can help. StayFocusd for Chrome enables you to limit the time per day you spend on websites you find distracting.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

– Know Yourself<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This might be the simplest advice, but it can be the hardest to follow. If you know you can\u2019t resist browsing Facebook, delete the app from your phone.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

And remember, social media is engineered to be addictive, but that doesn\u2019t mean it makes you happy. Research shows it can actually make you feel sad, depressed, and isolated, so limiting your social media use can pay off really well in terms of mental health as well as improving productivity and relationships.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

As with everything \u2013 chocolate, cheese, gaming, social media \u2013 moderation is key. Just like you stash your candy so you don\u2019t overindulge, hiding certain apps temporarily can help you reclaim some of your precious time!<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe people who create and refine tech, games, and interactive experiences are very good at what they do,\u201d says Alter. \u201cThey run thousands of tests with millions of users to learn which tweaks work and which ones don\u2019t\u2014which background colours, fonts, and audio tones maximize engagement and minimize frustration. As an experience evolves, it becomes an irresistible, weaponized version of the experience it once was. In 2004, Facebook was fun; today, it\u2019s addictive.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":141220,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-141217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-school-section"],"yoast_head":"\nHow To Use Social Media The Right Way?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore practical strategies to manage social media use effectively, fostering healthier habits and reducing addiction risks in the digital age.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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