How To Cultivate A Positive Social Media Experience

Social media has become a part of our daily lives. For many of us, it’s a love-hate relationship.

“There are some clear pros to social media use, and some pure cons. But there are also a lot of gray areas,” says Lisa MacLean, M.D., a psychiatrist at Henry Ford Health.

Fortunately, there are ways to make your experience more positive. Dr. MacLean shares tips for cultivating a healthy relationship with social media.

Positive Effects of Social Media

To maximize the benefits of social media, it helps to start by thinking about what it can offer. At its best, social media helps us connect with the people and ideas that matter to us, Dr. MacLean says.

“Social media increases our access to information and can improve our awareness of things happening across the world, including things going on in the lives of friends and family that you don’t see every day,” she says. “It can also provide emotional support and a place for expressing your creativity and self-expression.”

Social Media Downsides

Yet those benefits come at a cost. Dr. MacLean highlights some of the downsides of social media:

• Distraction: Raise your hand if you’ve seen people out to dinner staring at their electronic devices instead of talking to their dates or families. Social media is a powerful lure that can prevent you from being present in the moment and pull you away from other important activities.
• Feelings of insecurity: It’s easy to compare your life to the perfect images other people post online. That can lead to negative feelings like anxiety, low self-esteem and poor body image—even when we tell ourselves that online posts don’t reflect reality.
• Addiction: “When you receive a like, comment or share, it triggers the release of dopamine in the brain, making you feel good,” Dr. MacLean explains. “But that feeling of reward can keep people hooked to their screens, creating a kind of addiction to social media.” That addiction can interfere with other important things, like work, school or sleep.
• Misinformation: Social media can contribute to the spread of misinformation and disinformation.
• Negative interactions: Some people use social media as a platform to bully or harass others. Digital media can also become an echo chamber that promotes divisiveness.
• Loneliness: Though social media can bring people together, it can cause problems when superficial online interactions replace meaningful real-life contact with others. “Some people who spend a lot of time on social media end up feeling more lonely and isolated,” Dr. MacLean says.

Find Joy Online

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One great thing about social media? You get to vote for what you see in your feed. The algorithms might not be perfect, but you can stack the deck by seeking out content that makes you feel good.

Dr. MacLean shares some ideas of digital content to look for:

• Celebratory posts
• Content that sparks nostalgia
• Creative content like recipe ideas, DIY tips or crafting inspiration
• Cute animal content
• Funny videos and memes
• Positive news stories
• Words of affirmation or uplifting quotes

Remember, too, that social media isn’t just about consuming content. Make a point to share meaningful information. “Post when you want to update people on life events or positive stories that bring people together, and avoid topics that create divisiveness,” Dr. MacLean recommends.

9 Tips for Healthy Social Media Habits

Filling your feed with positive content is just the start. Dr. MacLean offers these 9 tips to make the most of social media.

1. Pare down. With so many social media platforms available, it’s easy to go overboard. Think about which platforms are most important to you, and delete the rest.
2. Track your usage. Social media is designed to keep us scrolling, scrolling, scrolling … making it all too easy to lose track of time. Start logging how much time you spend on those sites to get a sense of how it’s impacting your life.
3. Set a limit. Once you’re aware of how much time you’re really spending online, figure out a reasonable limit. Then set a timer to tell you when it’s time to step away from the screen. There are also apps that can help by blocking access to certain sites or limiting how much time you can spend on them.
4. Tune in to how you feel. Take a moment to be mindful when you’re spending time on social media. What platforms or types of content leave you feeling good? Which make you feel worse? Take note.
5. Embrace the unfollow button. There’s no shortage of content out there, so why waste time on things that bring you down? Mute or unfollow the people or accounts that make you feel anxious or inadequate.
6. Focus on connection. Use social media for what it does best: connecting with others. Instead of scrolling mindlessly, comment on content you enjoy or DM (direct message) a friend.
7. Go silent. Go ahead and set your phone to ‘Do Not Disturb’ for a while. If that’s not possible—you need to be reachable for work or kids, for example—at least turn off your social media notifications. Instead of jumping to attention every time your phone chimes, you can check in at planned intervals that work for you. “Most things are not urgent,” Dr. MacLean points out.
8. Take a social media break. If social media is bringing you more grief than joy, consider cutting back. It could be an hour while you go for a walk outside, or a few days—or even weeks. “If social media is contributing to your not feeling good, it might be time to take a break,” Dr. MacLean says.
9. Find an accountability partner. If you’re trying to foster a healthier relationship with social media, find a friend or family member to work on making changes with you. For example, it’s often helpful if teens and parents work to create new social media habits together, Dr. MacLean notes.

“The most important thing is to be conscious of how you’re using social media, and to find strategies that help you engage with online content in healthy ways,” Dr. MacLean adds. That’s advice worthy of likes and shares.

Reviewed by Lisa MacLean, M.D., a psychiatrist specializing in adult ADHD treatment at Henry Ford Behavioral Services in Detroit. She is the director of physician wellness for Henry Ford Health, using her expertise to help doctors optimize wellness and find balance by teaching them healthy coping strategies so they can better serve their patients.