What Happens When You Ditch Social Media and Join an Online Community?

‍

‍

We spend a lot of time on social media. Nowadays, it is challenging to have a conversation with someone without having your eyes glued to a device. A life without social media may seem impossible if you spend a lot of time on them. Luckily, there are ways you can ditch social media, like joining an online community. 

‍

Social media is widely seen as a lifesaver for many people, and there is no denying that it does have some incredible advantages for those that utilize it properly. However, are these advantages really worth living our lives? Here are some reasons to stop using social media and put energy into other things.

Quitting social media helps improve your happiness and mood

One of the essential things in our lives is to make sure that we are happy. According to research, using social media has been linked to lower happiness and life satisfaction. Depressive symptoms are also associated with the use of social media in studies.

‍

Your friends are likely posting about the new job they just got rather than the positions they applied for and did not get. Those with nothing to post might compare their lives to others, especially on Facebook.

‍

It was revealed that those who use Facebook have difficulty concentrating, feel less present, and believe they waste their time more frequently than those who do not.

‍

Whether you spend a lot of time on social media, you might want to try a short experiment to see if taking a break or decreasing your social media usage can improve your mood. Try joining an online community instead. 

Ditch social media to increase your productivity

According to the American Psychological Association, switching back and forth between social media and a work-related job, such as answering emails, can impair your productivity by up to 40%.

‍

You will be able to concentrate on a single activity for a more extended period once you stop using social media, which will lead to greater productivity and efficiency at work.

‍

Your productivity may increase when you do not have to deal with the constant buzzing of your devices. What social media does is continually interrupt us," Joanne Cantor, Ph.D., professor emerita of communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and author of the book Conquer CyberOverload, explains. It is a sort of multitasking that takes longer and results in subpar work when we keep stopping to check social media. 

‍

The good thing about online communities is that most of the content is for you to become productive. Plus, you very often see posts about buying a car or an apartment. 

Ditching social media and joining an online community secure your privacy

When you spend too much time on social media, your happiness is not the only thing at risk. Your right to privacy is just as important. It has become a way of life for many people to post intimate details of their daily lives online to receive likes and appreciation from others. 

‍

It is a good idea to keep some aspects of your life private. For example, do not upload images of yourself with your children on social media sites. There is the issue of strangers knowing where your children attend school and even when you pick them up. This is a danger to their safety. 

‍

Join an online community if you want to secure your privacy while interacting with other people online. Online communities have privacy features wherein everything you post on a community will be protected against harmful uses. Community managers and members are not allowed to share your post in the community unless you permit them. 

Joining an online community avoids a creative block

There is a possibility that your social media activities are to blame if you are experiencing a creative block. Experts claimed that the secret to keep your creative juices flowing is to take breaks from social media now and then to work on something else. If you are a content creator, you might want to join an online community to take a break from social media. 

Quitting social media helps improve self-esteem

Because social media exposes you to so much of what is happening in the world, it can negatively impact your self-esteem when you feel like you do not measure up to the people you care about. It is easy to let our self-esteem suffer in the age of filters, Instagram models and influencers, online fitness stars, and readily available photo-altering tools. 

‍

According to two studies, women's self-esteem was affected when they compared themselves to others based on the quality of their selfies. Another study discovered a link between social media use and a negative self-perception of attractiveness.

‍

Regarding social comparisons, Facebook may make you feel less successful in your work and personal life.

‍

In a matter of minutes, you might be bombarded with images of people who appear to be better off than you. 

Get more sleep by ditching social media 

Many social media users are not receiving the amount of rest they need. Thirty-five percent of Americans do not get enough sleep, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to a recent survey, young adults with sleep difficulties are more likely to check social media frequently and for longer.

‍

This is hardly a surprise. Comparing ourselves to others while in bed, we scroll through our social media accounts and makes us crave a beach vacation instead of getting ready for the day at work.

Ditching social media makes you enjoy the present 

Social media takes your attention away from the moment when you are not at work. Suppose you are having dinner with your family and wondering what to order. Everyone’s faces are stuck to their iPhones like zombies instead of spending meaningful time with their loved ones. That is not going to improve your relationships with one another.

‍

You go to a concert or a baseball game with a friend or a business acquaintance. It is a fun night out. You are too busy updating your social media profiles — or checking in to see what everyone else is posting — which means you are not fully engaged or, even worse, enjoying the company with your friend or colleague. 

‍

If you ditch social media and join online communities you will discover that you have more time on your hands. Since you have so much time for yourself, you may want to take advantage of it by learning new skills or studying an online course. This will help you grow as an individual and an employee. 

‍

Social media can indeed be harmful and beneficial. It all depends on how you utilize it, like with most things online. Remove the negativity, limit your social media exposure, and just use it for what it intended.

‍

If using social media is bringing you down, it is time to unplug. You may join online communities on Backspace, where you build real connections with other people.