10 Ways to Utilize Social Media

Have any of you thought on how to really use social media? Most of us just use it to use it. Or we primarily make accounts to keep in contact with friends and family. We’re constantly plugged-in, because we want to always be in the know of things and be the first ones to get the scoop. But there’s more to social media. It can be about relating meaningfully to other people.

          Here’s a list of 10 tips to use social media mindfully:

1. Know your intentions: Think before you post! Ask yourself if you’re posting to be seen or validated by your fellow followers or friends? Is it constructive or is it negative?


2. Be your authentic self: Social media are a way of personal branding. You have your image and reputation to maintain. You should want to post comments and tweets that are related to you. They should communicate the person you are.


3.  Before you tweet or post, always ask: Is it true? Is it kind?: Sometimes we get too caught up in emotions and forget to filter our thoughts. We must be considerate when making posts. You must not forget that potential employers may read your profiles. You want to make a positive impression oppose to a negative one.


4.  Offer posts of kindness: Use social media to extend a helping hand to those in need, without expecting anything in return. You may create a connection that will help you later down the road. A simple tweet might consist of, “Is there anything I can do to help you?”


5.  Experience now, share later: It’s common to take a picture and upload instantly to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. It defeats the purpose of living in the moment. You shouldn’t want to share everything in real time with your audiences. Enjoy the moment and share later. That’s the beauty of technology today. Photos or videos can be stored and uploaded later.


6.  Be active: I know some of you may have your e-mails and social media accounts linked to your phone, so it's set to give you alerts. You may feel the urge to answer immediately but you have the choice to indulge in that conversation later. You may want to enjoy your free time to truly appreciate it.


7. Respond with your full attention: When your friends or followers share links, it’s good to fully read it and respond. You may not be able to respond to everyone but at least respond to those thoughtfully.


8.  Use mobile social media sparingly: I know many of you may be plugged in at times but it’s up to us to decide how much time we truly dedicate to social media. I know as college students we tend to check into your social media several times a day. You may miss what’s happening online but you won’t miss what’s in front of you (good company).


9.  Let go: It may come off as rude when if you ignore a tweet or post but we need to ensure we have downtime. It’s important to just let go sometimes and relax. Rather than catching up on updates you may want to catch up with an old friend and have lunch.


10.  Last but not least, enjoy it: The above are ways to get the most of social media. Follow your own instincts and have fun with it.

As mentioned, the above tips are just a few ways to utilize social media to its advantage. However, you can feel free to do as you feel. Just remember that it’s okay to be disconnected from technology. Just don’t lose the focus of living in the moment. Don’t get too caught up in uploading every time something happens. Also, remember to respond thoughtfully. You want to establish and maintain relationships you build online.

Are We in Need of a Digital Detox?

Is social media the new addiction? What is it about social media that causes people to spend so much of their time trading information with friends, family and a large network of companies? People are so obsessed with checking their social media circles throughout the day and even the night. This may be troubling to some and may affect their attention span. Media fanatics check their phone constantly throughout the day and may check for more than a half an hour at a time.


View the following video to learn about Social Media Addiction:




“Gemini Adams is a self-confessed addict. Not drugs, not alcohol, but Facebook.” Some people just can’t get enough of friending, tagging, poking, and posting. Facebook addiction is real and unhealthy. It’s to the point that people are spending a lot of time not only on Facebook But, thinking about what they will post on Facebook. It may be used to release the tension of current problems in their lives. Do you suffer when you are prohibited from using Facebook? If so, then you might suffer from Facebook addiction.

FORMER FACEBOOK ADDICT GEMINI ADAMS, SAYING:

"I'd signed up to every aspect of Facebook and was utilizing every sort of part of it. Checking in wherever I went and I remember just feeling really kind of revolting and just, you know, gnarled up inside physically because I hadn't been exercising. And I was just in this position, hunched over a computer and you know my eyesight was worse."

Gemini Adams is now a part of a digital detox. She won’t use Facebook for more than an hour at a time and can go a week without checking it for 24 hours straight. Can you do that? She is working on her sudden temptations to just comment or post something on Facebook. We normally hear about a cleanse detox diet in which someone is cleansing their body of chemical and harmful toxins. But, now there is such a thing as digital detox in which you disconnect you reconnect with yourself again. I find this so interesting because everyone nowadays has that “always on” mentality which can be overwhelming. I found a fascinating website that provides digital detox retreats: The Digital Detox. They host retreats for both private and intimate parties including corporation and employee engagement. Maybe we should take a look at this and see if we are in need of a digital detox ourselves.

 The underlying questions here is, how much is too much? As mentioned in the video, if we are plugged into media and check it excessively throughout the day then we have a problem! We need to treat ourselves and that begins with going cold turkey. But in today's connected world, unplugging may be a lot harder than it sounds.