When Facebook Went Out, Did You?

Earlier this month, Facebook and its associated applications—Instagram, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp—went down for some six hours. Personally, it didn’t affect me a bit, since my concern for the various social media mechanisms is on par with my concern over the world’s mosquito population.

However, as Emily Clark’s blog last week suggested, some people were quite stressed out about it. So much so that Twitter was reportedly flooded with users who desperately wanted to know what on earth was happening and if the world was officially ending. (Ok, I added that last bit.)

At the time I counted the overall stress reaction as a smirk-worthy anecdote that only happened to very few real people.

In the weeks since, however, I’ve heard and read enough stories and ongoing discussions of the event that I realized that we all ought to take it seriously. So as a devoted non-user of social media—who doesn’t know what his old high school classmates look like these days, or what they made for dinner last Wednesday, or where they’re going on vacation next week—let me posit a few simple questions:

What apps are you using and why?

If your answer is all of them, and that you’re using Snapchat to find silly stories about people you don’t know or care about, and TikTok for entertaining clips made by pretty people you don’t care about, and Facebook to keep up with people you don’t know well enough anymore to care about, well … you might just be investing too much time in people you don’t care about.

And on the subject of time, did you know that according to a recent report from Statista Research the average social user spends about two-and-a-half hours daily on their social media apps? If that seems short to you, guess what, that’s probably average, too.

OK. My comments may sound like I’m being judgmental, but I’m not. Snarky? Yes. Judgmental? Nah. Hey, we all tend to waste time on things we don’t need to. But we ought to think about the hows and whys for our own well-being.

Oh, and speaking of well-being, how about these questions:

Do you compare yourself to others online? And do you get a bit bummed that you don’t compare favorably?

How often do you check your phone for the latest message or update? Every couple of hours? Every hour? Every chance you get? Do you feel like others aren’t connecting with you as often as they should or as often as you deserve?

Do you wake up in the morning feeling anxious, depressed or just a bit lonely? Do you recycle upsetting Facebook headlines or Instagram posts in your conversations? Is everything you see getting you down or making you angry? Have you encountered people online who say nasty or hateful things?

All of those questions are connected to problems that social media users have themselves reported in the many, many social media studies that universities and social scientists have conducted.And part of that may be by design. Just today, several news outlets reported that Facebook prioritized angry emojis five times more than “likes,” which means you were far more likely to see stuff that made you angry in your feed than made you happy.

And if you’re kinda struggling in any of those areas or panicking over the thought of turning off your phone for any significant amount of time (like a day, an hour, five minutes?) then you might want to think about taking some steps to find a healthier balance in your life.

So, what might that look like?

Measure it out and be Intentional

Social media health experts agree that the first step is to honestly evaluate how much social you’re using. Take an inventory of your habits and the patterns in your normal day. And then, rather than letting your phone and its apps control your patterns, grab the reins and set aside specific times when you’ll use social media and specific times when you purposely look away.

Send Notifications Packing

Turning off notifications so your phone isn’t tapping you on the shoulder (or back pocket) with some incredibly important (or completely insignificant) social media news every three-and-a-half seconds.

Live in the Moment

A recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology suggested that our social media consumption might even change or reduce our memories of live events. So, work at keeping your eyes up and your attention invested in the real people around you.

Fast, and Support Those Who Do

Think about setting aside your phone for a short stretch to maybe take a walk or go to a ball game phoneless and social-free. And if you’ve got a friend who’s struggling with the woes of social media overuse, ask them to join you on your short social media fast. Make sure to give them a hearty “goodonya” when they do.

Get Some Fresh Air and a Helping of Eye Contact

Sounds like common sense, but a walk outside and an eye-to-eye conversation (as opposed to a “yeah, yeah” while scrolling) can remind you that connection with other people isn’t a digital-only thing.

Say Goodnight When You Say Goodnight

And don’t forget to turn off your screen at night. It’s definitely true that checking social media and sending texts and emails before trying to nod off, will make the nodding all the tougher. So do yourself a favor and nod without the screen.   

Lastly, you might consider putting aside your social long enough to check out some of the studies and sites designed to give you a bit of helpful info and support. We here at Plugged In are more than happy to help, too. All snark-free. I promise.