Ever since I downloaded TikTok, I have been so addicted to scrolling through those short
videos on my FYP. With any other social media application such as Instagram and Snapchat, I
have never felt as compelled to stay on social media for hours like how I do with TikTok. Maybe
it’s the way that TikTok users produce so many great videos because I never realize how much
time I have spent on the app until the TikTok video pops up on my page saying “Hold up!
You’ve been scrolling for way too long now.”
I have definitely learned a lot of useful information from the videos ranging from basic
financial literacy information to recipes for delicious full-course meals. Without TikTok, I don’t
think that I would have learned all the things that I know now. Regardless of the information that
I have learned, it is still not good to spend so much time on social media. Thus, here are the ways
to know that you are spending a little too much time on social media:
1. Social media is the first and last thing that you are on
It’s one thing to wake up and immediately go on your phone, but it’s another thing to go
straight to social media. Speaking from personal experiences, there have been many days where I
woke up and went to TikTok to spend an hour on it before actually getting out of bed. Whenever
I do this, I know that it makes me feel lethargic for the entire day.
So instead of going on social media as soon as I wake up, I have been making more
strives towards finishing my morning routine before I go on my phone. Some ways that I do this
include charging my phone on the opposite side of my room, using a physical alarm clock so that
I don’t have to check my phone to turn it off, and creating a checklist of everything I need to
accomplish.
2. You constantly use social media in your free time
Do you find yourself going on social media as soon as you are presented with any type of
free time? This free time can range from being in the bathroom to waiting for your food to come
out of the microwave. In these short periods of time, this time can be used for other tasks; but,
more often than not, we spend that time on social media. At this point, our social media use
changes from using it for entertainment to using it blindly without a purpose.
In order to prevent using social media in your free time, try to resist taking your phones
into these environments. For example, if you find that you are constantly using your phone in the
bathroom (regardless of how unhygienic it actually is), then leave your phone outside while you
are in it. By making this small adjustment, you’ll be surprised by how much you cut the time
spent on social media.
3. You use social media as a distraction from your work
Especially since we are in an online environment, it is very easy to be distracted by social
media during class. While your professor is talking, social media is very tempting to go on if you
find it more interesting than schoolwork. If you find yourself drifting from your class or work to
go on social media, this is definitely one of the signs where you are spending a little too much
time on social media.
Instead of using social media as a means for procrastination, I make sure that I set a time
limit on Screen Time. This way, if I spend too much time on social media, I will be reminded by
my phone that my time on social media is running out. So instead of using social media as a
distraction, I have been more diligent with my usage of social media.
Social media has definitely given us many great opportunities to learn and have fun. But
then again, nothing should ever really be used in excess—social media is not exempt from this. If
you find yourself aligning with these signs, it is actually very easy to break out of this way of
thinking. Social media is not bad at all; however, it is bad when you find that you are using it just
a little too much.