Most people use social media wrong. They scroll through what seems to be a never ending timeline…down, down, down. They come back in half an hour and scroll again to see something new. Down, down, down… and when they see the posts they’ve already seen earlier in the day, they switch to another app: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google +, Vine, Snapchat, WeChat, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger or Skype. When they’ve checked everything they have installed and signed up for… it’s time to repeat the cycle.
People check social media on their phone, but then they are on their laptops or desktop computers. It’s time to check everything again because, you know, something new might have happened or after all, Facebook website and Facebook mobile app are so different from each other! 😏
Wrong, wrong, wrong. You are just consuming low quality content for a thrill of dopamine released by your novelty seeking lizard brain (Amygdala) 🐲. You are a gambling addict, a slot machine junking pulling the lever down, down, down. You are wasting time, getting full of ads, and losing your brain cycles (where the focus goes energy flows).
The right usage of media about harnessing the power of social media to your benefit, here are some of the examples:
- Message, video, chat with friends and organize in-person meetings. Connecting has never been so cheap and easy.
- It’s not what you know, it’s whom you know so keep your contacts saved for future interactions (your rolodex), both business (Twitter, LinkedIn) and personal (Facebook, WhatsApp)
- Post valuable, useful and interesting updates. Sorry but what you ate for breakfast or what is the view form of your window does NOT count unless you are a celebrity (they are forgiven).
I check my social media accounts just once a week. I almost never look at the timeline and never for a long period of time. I proactively reach out to people, search topics and hashtags, and then message and comment. I check my notifications and reply to the ones that need replies. I deleted all the social media apps from my phone and don’t miss them. It helps me to focus on important matters and act instead of reacting. 😇
Use social media to your advantage and don’t let social media consume you!