Social media has had the strongest presence ever in our lives. We know there are many downsides to social media, and it’s important to know how it can be bad for us. On the other hand, don’t forget how amazing it can be as well. In honor of Social Media Day, let’s highlight how we can use social media for good and tips to avoid the bad.
Raise Awareness
Instagram is a great place to raise awareness of a cause like mental health, self-care, and social justice. If you want to go viral with your message, create a hashtag, make a video or petition, or even a meme that will be good enough for individuals to share. Sharing posts from others or yourself on the causes you are passionate about will help educate, get others involved, and raise awareness.
Stay Connected
Stay connected with your job, city, and anywhere around the world. More importantly, stay connected with your family and friends. You may even be surprised to meet cool, new friends on social media too.
Stay Informed
Stay in the loop on all the happenings going on locally, nationally, and worldwide. Social media informs us of current events rather quickly. We all know that person who would rather check Twitter updates than wait for the news to get on. Remember to always fact-check and use reliable sources.
Business
For many, social media can be their job or a part of their income. It can be used to attract customers through marketing and ads, get paid collaborations and sponsorships, and sell products. Whether a store owner, nail technician, plumber, a doctor with a private practice, blogger, or influencer, social media is a way some people financially support themselves to make a living.
Spread The Word
It’s no secret that social media is a great way to share stories, promote businesses and events, educate others, and spread good news. If you can’t donate money, buy from a business, or attend an event, spreading the word about them is always a free and easy way to provide support. Spread the word about events and causes that are happening in your community and around the world. And support businesses- especially small, local, BIPOC, and women-owned ones!
Spread Love
It’s so common to stumble upon complaints, negativity, and hate on social media. With that said, it is just as easy to spread positivity and love! Light up the world with inspiration and good vibes on social media to outshine the darkness that lingers and creeps up on you.
Avoid the dark side of social media
As we know, a dark side to social media exists- Cyberbullies, negativity, insecurity, addiction, fake news, so much more. However, the beauty of social media is that we can control what we see and do with all these apps (for the most part).
Recognize The Dangers
From comparing ourselves to others to seeing triggering posts, recognize the dangers of social media. It can be easy to compare yourself to someone else. Either by their looks or how they live their life, we may start belittling ourselves because we’re not the same as them. This is dangerous because it can affect your mental health. Remember that people use filters, stage lighting, and what we see isn’t always the whole picture.
Mute, block, or Unfollow People
Mute, block, or unfollow people that don’t make you feel good, bring negativity into your life, or don’t inspire you. It’s an easy click of a button to simply remove things and people you don’t want to see. Who we follow can impact our mindset and lifestyle, so only follow accounts that are good for you.
(Ally deleted her Facebook account years ago because she found it toxic. If you need to, deactivate one of your profiles or take a break from a certain app.)
Spend Less Time Scrolling
When you catch yourself scrolling endlessly just to scroll, you should stop. Put down your phone, and spend time off social media. Trust us- you won’t miss out on much by the time you get back on.
