Most of us have some kind of social media account. It could be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, etc. Regardless of how few or many you have, it’s important that they are contributing to your happiness! It can be easy to compare yourself to other people you see online, and begin to feel inadequate in some way.
Social media can also become a place where others can be rude and even abusive towards you through comments. In the same way that social media can be a great tool to connect with topics and people that make you happy, it can also open the door to a lot of negativity. This is why it’s so important to be aware of and weed out the bad stuff from your socials when needed! Below are some tips on how you can purge your socials.
Unfriend and Unfollow
Sometimes we become friends or follow people for no real reason. It could be a friend of a friend we don’t know, or just someone we followed/friended a long time ago that isn’t relevant anymore. Go through your friend/following list and decide whether you want to stay connected to each one. If you want to disconnect, do it! There’s no law that says you have to be friends with certain people or accounts for forever.
Block When Needed
If someone continues to be a negative influence on your socials, BLOCK THEM. The feature is there for a reason, and you don’t have to put up with harassment, abuse, or any other kind of consistent negativity on your pages. This goes for friends and family you know in real life as well. It is okay and healthy to have and establish boundaries with people that are close to you. Just be polite about it if they ask why, and make sure they understand that it’s not a personal attack; just something you had to do for your own mental and emotional health.
Choose Inspiration Over Discouragement
Maybe there’s a really positive account you follow, but you find yourself being discouraged instead of inspired. You wish you were more like this person in some way, and it makes you feel down. This is a great opportunity to practice some self-awareness! Ask yourself why you are letting whatever it may be get to you. Then figure out how you can overcome that. Be open and honest with yourself in these instances, and you will find it much easier to take things as opportunities to grow instead of feeling like you aren’t good enough.
As a final thought, remember that what you usually see posted on a social media account is a highlight reel of carefully staged and filtered moments that don’t represent a real life. Nobody has a perfect life, and everyone has their own insecurities to get through. I hope you are inspired to turn your socials into a haven of joy and positivity for yourself!
