20 Mar Managing news and social media – Tip 4
Before reading this post, I’d highly recommend going back and, if you’ve not done so already, reading the first three tips in this series. They can and do all stand on their own, but they’ll also work much better if integrated and combined together.
Either way, now that you’re here and (I assume) interested in managing the way you consume news and use social media in healthier and more helpful ways, it’s almost certainly worth considering a … digital detox.
What’s that?
Well, that’s complete abstinence from news and social media for a period of time.
To be honest, and as mentioned in the first post in this series, I think it’s extremely unlikely that many of us, in this day and age, will choose this option permanently. If you do, and if it works for you, then great. But this series is more for those of us who accept there are pros and cons to these online worlds, and want to maximise the pros and minimise or eliminate the cons.
As for how long this detox should last? Well, that’s up to you. And it will vary considerably from person to person. It would be a few hours, a day, a weekend or … well, again, it’s totally up to you. And you might want to play around with a few formats to see what works best. But whatever you choose, here are a few options to consider …
- Screen-free periods: Schedule regular times throughout the day or week where you completely disconnect from screens
- Tech-free zones: Designate areas like the dining table as tech-free zones
- “Digital Sabbath”: Consider taking a full day off from social media each week (most likely on the weekend)
As with everything in the self-help and self-care world, this is easier said than done AND the way it ultimately looks will vary (sometimes considerably) from person to person. But give it a go; because in one way or other, there are definitely many advantages to be experienced!