Social media might be one of the last things you think of when considering mindfulness, but the two are not incompatible. Mindfulness can be practiced in all areas of life, and scrolling through social media might be one of the times of day where it is needed the most!
It’s a common experience to feel negative emotions after spending time on social media. Reading news from around the world can feel depressing or frustrating, especially since the most shocking and controversial events are what hit the headlines. Seeing the most beautiful and cultivated pictures of other people’s haircuts and vacations invites comparison, lowering self esteem or giving us FOMO. Filters and AI content worsen this phenomenon; unrealistic standards slowly become what we think of as normal. This is especially true for younger users – teenage girls especially have been identified as the demographic worst affected by online social comparison. Adolescents are also more vulnerable to addictive or compulsive behaviours around social media, though people of all ages are susceptible to bad habits resulting from the dopamine hits you get while scrolling.
Many people see these negative aspects of social media and decide to get rid of it. It is common to hear of people deleting the “doomscroll” apps off their phone for lent, “dry January,” or with the intention of forever! While this might help some people, it does not address the underlying psychology. It’s like going on a diet without addressing your lifestyle and attitude towards food – once the diet is over, there’s that tendency to return to old habits.
Plus, social media isn’t all bad. It can be a great way to stay connected, stay informed, and be entertained! It also isn’t going anywhere. A more realistic goal toward social media usage is to learn to enjoy the positive aspects while mitigating the negative. This is where mindfulness comes in. When you engage mindful practices while using technology, you can better determine which habits are beneficial. Talking about these practices honestly with younger users will benefit them as well. And the more you openly engage with mindfulness, the better role model you will be. Here are some elements of mindfulness that can help:
Focus on how you’re feeling.
This is a key element of mindfulness, and underlies all other suggestions discussed here. When you view or post on social media, reflect on how each post makes you feel. Try doing this for just a few minutes at a time, and with practice you will become attuned to these feelings more easily. Are there certain accounts that consistently boost or diminish your self esteem? Do you feel drained or depressed when you come across a certain type of post? Once you identify a pattern, muting or deleting accounts that bring your mood down will make a big difference over time.
Social media is not black and white, and what qualifies as “good” content will vary by person. For example, exercise and fitness accounts may make you feel energized and inspired about your own health. Alternatively, you may feel your self-esteem lower if you compare yourself to someone who is more fit. What makes good content for you will depend entirely on you, which is why checking in with yourself is key to understanding the difference.
Set an intention.
Technology in general, and social media specifically, is designed to grab and hold our attention. Likely all of us have picked up our phones to check the weather, only to find ourselves 20 minutes deep into Tiktok still not knowing whether it’s going to rain. Some studies show that saying your intention out loud before looking at your phone helps with this. For example, you could say, “I am looking up Carl’s address,” before waking the screen. This will encourage you to ignore notifications and focus on your objective. And if you say, “I’m going to scroll Instagram,” that’s okay too! You can give yourself permission to check social media – and not feel guilty afterwards – when you have that intention from the start.
Practice non-judgement.
Non-judgement is a key element to mindfulness, though it can be a difficult one to maintain while on social media sites. Practicing non-judgement goes hand-in-hand with noticing how you are feeling. Once you check in and realize you feel down on yourself while looking at someone else’s post, you can show yourself grace by not further feeling shame for that emotion. Maintain curiosity in introspection, without letting the weight judgement make you feel worse.
Non-judgement can also extend to others online. A significant amount of content aims to “rage-bait” and make people feel outraged. While this drives engagement for the account, it does not benefit us users personally or socially. Being one step removed from anger allows for recognition of this, and leaves you better equipped to decide which content you actually want to view and interact with.
Be time aware.
More and more platforms do not have a set ending. Autoplay and endless feeds mean you can spend time on social media sites almost indefinitely. Those little dopamine rewards never stop, and we never really experience the satisfaction of a conclusion. Even if you understand how social media platforms use this psychology to their advantage (the more you scroll, the more ads you see!) it’s hard to overcome.
While using social media mindfully, check in how you are feeling when it comes to time. Do you consistently find that after 20 minutes of scrolling you start to feel down? Do you enjoy social media more during certain times of the day? After a few mindful check-ins, you may choose to store your phone across the room at bedtime so you can’t check it right before sleep or first thing in the morning. You may decide to implement some sort of time limit on your intentional social media use; a timer, an allocated time of day, an app reminder, or by some other means that works for you.
Finding the best fit for you personally is really what it comes down to. Mindfulness is about connecting to your personal values, and finding the best ways to connect with them. All the tips and tricks to engaging mindfully with social media, or anything else, will not mean anything unless they resonate with you. Keep this in mind when you talk to teens about social media – focusing on values and modeling mindful social media use will make a much bigger impact than preaching or restricting!