Using social media in positive ways

There’s no way to know every detail that goes into algorithms, but it is a good idea to learn how they are used on different social media platforms. If you like a post, it could mean that you will start to receive similar posts on this topic. Following an account often means that similar accounts may be suggested to you. These micro-environments on social media can influence how you feel. People who follow accounts that are funny, informative or inspiring, report feeling better about their social media use.

Tip 2: Be aware of doomscrolling

Doomscrolling is when you mindlessly scroll through negative news articles, social media posts and other content. This can have negative impacts on your wellbeing. Tips to avoid doomscrolling include finding more positive content to look at and putting your phone away or carving out more time away from screens.

‘My husband and I call doomscrolling the rabbit hole. If we see each other doing it, we ask each other – are you in the rabbit hole?’

‘And we immediately put our phones away. It has required discipline and a lot of effort to become aware of doomscrolling. But recognising when we are doing it and putting a stop to it has definitely had a good impact on our collective mental health.’  – Nico*

‘Enough is enough.’

‘My friends and I made a rule to put our phones away while we are talking or sharing with each other. It is exhausting talking with someone who is clearly not paying attention to me because they are on their phone checking their social media all the time or texting someone else.’ – Alex*

‘When I started using dating apps, I was constantly checking the notifications.’

‘I used to get excited if a girl had written to me and disappointed if they didn’t answer immediately. It started feeling like a full-time job. I had to answer as soon as I got a notification, and I was getting stressed out if I didn’t have the chance to do it or if other women didn’t answer me straight away. When I was with my friends, my phone was always dinging, which annoyed them. Several friends told me, ‘Have you considered turning off your notification?’ And I would answer, ‘I have everything under control’. But, after a lot of insistence from my friends, I followed their advice and turned my notifications off. Woah! It was like I suddenly got my life back. I realised that something that was meant to be fun had become stressful. I still use dating apps but I use them by my rules now.’ – Aera*

Being online and connected has many benefits but you need to make sure that your time online doesn’t take over your life. Working out how much time online is ‘too much’ will vary from person to person. 

It is also important to consider the quality of any content or activities you are engaging with online. Be aware of how your time online may be affecting your friendships, family, health, work or study.

Learn more about how to balance your time online.

Using your phone just before bed can negatively impact your sleep so try to avoid checking your social media accounts just before bed and you might want to consider leaving it in another room. You can also go to settings and activate the night shift/mode, use the ‘do not disturb’ feature on apps or turn off notifications.

If you use your phone alarm to wake you, you can always invest in an alarm clock so you don’t need to keep your phone next to you when you sleep.

^{*The personal stories quoted here are real accounts taken from eSafety's community engagement sessions, only the names have been changed.}