BY ROEYNA MAY FAMISARAN
SOCIAL media takes so much of our time. We spend more hours in the virtual world than in real life. We browse our News Feed instead of conversing with each other. We update our IG stories instead of enjoying the party. We travel only to have something to post; we don’t even sit down to just marvel at the sights and appreciate how beautiful this world is.
We are easily stressed out when we’re in the cybersphere. We hate the “oversharers,” flood likers, game invite senders, political analysts, bullies and the list goes on.
Overwhelming content on social media can stress you out. Why are there people who share photos that trigger trypophobia? Who in their right minds post photos of poop? Why does this couple publicize their arguments on Facebook and send each other sweet nothings after a few days?
Social media has every person in the crowd and admit it, we do not like most of them. Hence, it is important to declutter your social media and maintain a circle that you want. Follow these tips and you will surely have a good social media experience:
UNFRIEND ‘FRIENDS’
Do you have friends on Facebook that you do not even talk to in real life?
Come to think of it: Out of your 1,000 friends, you only talk to around 40 of them. As much as social media helps you connect with people, it may also lead you to connect to the wrong ones. Unfriend people you do not even know, people you do not interact with when you see each other, and people whose presence simply annoys you.
UNFOLLOW IRRELEVANT CONTENT
Do you still follow that page named “Em0 r0ckErsZ 2005”? You have outgrown that phase of your life.
It is time to unfollow that page, too. Does it post relevant content? Does the content make a good impact on you? If no, ditch it. Do not also forget to unfollow pages that share sex scandals, fake links (and news!), viruses, scams, networking opportunities, and those that you just do not like.
LEAVE GROUPS
That group was created for a History report way back in college. You do not need to be part of that group anymore. Leave Facebook groups that are no longer in use. Its last update was – wait, what? – three years ago. Do you really think that group is still useful? You can always PM your college groupmates if you need something.
MUTE, MUTE, MUTE
We always have that one Twitter friend who tweets everything – from her food to the shows she watches to her shoes to her boyfriend to her ex-boyfriend to her clique to what time she sleeps.
If you do not want to unfollow her, you can always click the “Mute” option. You can also mute those who overshare, who tweet about their relationships all the time, who are political analyst wannabes. In short, generally annoying people.
CHECK YOUR PROFILE
Always ensure that your profile only contains the basic information. Your description of yourself should be simple and straightforward. No “lives in Sa pUsO mOh” or anything cheesy. That is so 2000.
Also, never put your phone number in your profile unless you want some creepy strangers texting you in the middle of the night.
CATEGORIZE
It is important to organize your social media followers or friends. Facebook and Twitter allow you to make lists. You can categorize your friends as co-workers, family members, schoolmates, friends, and the like. This way, you can easily filter your friends and customize who can see your posts.
Decluttering your social media can give you a feeling of relief. Remember when you once decluttered your room? You felt relieved, right? You threw away useless things. You arranged items properly. You emptied the trash.
Social media cleanup is definitely one way to free your mind and avoid stress. It will make you more productive, connect you with the right people, and be in control of your virtual world./PN
