By Eddie D. Love
Today you hate me, tomorrow you love me, and sometimes you neglect me and shut me down! My name is “Social media” and no matter what, I’m here to stay! Like most people, you’ve probably deactivated your Facebook account or shut down Twitter at some point. I’m definitely guilty of this and there have been times when I’ve had to make myself unplug. Here are three ways to avoid getting hooked on social media.
Turn off notifications
There are just too many notifications on social media and this will cause you to constantly check your phone. Also, if you’re not careful, social media notifications can cause catastrophic damage to your relationship! Think about it, you get a buzz or a ping in the middle of the night and it’s someone sending you a friend request on Facebook or retweeting something you posted. It can become difficult having to explain those late night notifications, especially if they happen frequently. Do yourself a favor and turn them off completely!
Limit Direct Messages
Certain closed doors should always remain closed…plain and simple! If you can control it try to limit the private conversations on social media because if the relationship is of value to you, the person should have your phone number. The fact that people can access your profile at any given time offers the illusion that you can be reached anytime.
Don’t Accept All Friend Requests
Don’t fall victim to a catfish or scammer just because you’re lonely or bored! Be careful when accepting friend request from people you don’t know. If a person only has one picture, no friends in common, and just joined Facebook yesterday…it’s probably a fake profile! Always remember, when it comes to friends…it’s about quality over quantity!
Social media is simply art imitating life and it’s unfortunate that society has forced so much judgement upon people. It’s much easier to create an alternate life and be a dynamic person behind the computer than in real life and a lot of people get trapped into that fantasy! There are some people that will only use social media to promote negativity and falsehoods, while others will use it to spread love and do business. Either way, too much of anything is bad for you. Peace & Love!
Eddie D. Love is an author, speaker and life coach.