Plan your career: Time to address social media challenges

The overuse of social media is indeed harmful. Many studies and researches seem to prove this point. If it is affecting your performance in the school, it means it’s getting serious. The good news is that you are speaking up for yourself and seeking help. Acknowledging brings change. Follow the subsequent columns in the coming weeks and there are many queries regarding social media addictions and anxieties.

Going by the situation we are in, it is not that easy to fight against social media addiction. One has to make a sincere and serious attempt. Try doing the following in order to get back to your study immediately.

Review your posts: Go back and check whether all that you posted in the past one month are necessary. The ice cream you had, the nail polish you wore and the mosquito that bit you. Oh yes! They could have got as silly as one could never imagine. Did those postings bring any use to yourself or anyone else?

Evaluate your need for social media: Personal use of social media is linked to seeking attention. There are many other ways to fulfill the need. Building a good circle of friends is one such.

Turn off all the notifications: Notifications are the mischievous distractions in the smart phones. They invite you to look at them instantly. It takes off your attention from anything that you do. Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) syndrome is created by constant online reminders.

Download useful apps: There are so many educational apps that could also assist you in your subjects or learning languages.

Set specific time and specific location: Limit the amount of time for social media. We are not eating all the time just because the food is available before us. You need to develop individual discipline not to yield to temptations of trespassing. Limit your location of social media to one or two places. 

Spend time with people: Spend time with family members and friends without having your mobile phone in hand. You don’t need to chronicle everything with selfies. Cherish the moments in your heart and mind.

Learn a new skill: New skill or a hobby could help you to reduce your mobile phone time. Sports, Music, Swimming, gardening or rearing of pets or reading books could keep you out of social media.

Keep it as a reward: using of social media should be a reward for accomplishing your study task. Complete something productive and then reward yourself with a limited use of social media.

Start writing: Start writing your ideas. You can contribute to your school magazines or newspapers. Someday you can also start a blog with your collection of ideas.

Keep yourself busy: Follow a routine in your study days and weekends. Commit yourself to different obligations in order to beat boredom.

Now if you would like to start right after reading this column, take a social media break. Quit for a substantial period of time to come back to it for a balanced use