“Doomscrolling” seems to be the verb of the age, something we’ve all done here and there, while some fall into the habit more than they’d like. It’s not hard to do – many of our social media algorithms are designed to engage us as much as possible, and if that means spreading bad news, outrage, conflict and disagreement, it will.
Why start a post with such negativity? Well, because it’s easy to overcome this habit, and doing so could be the best thing you’ve done for yourself lately. In fact, we are responsible for the feeds we curate. It can be enlightening and so much more fun to curate a fun experience, to connect with people that share our passions, and to post about our lives with care, clarity and privacy in mind. If you run a blog or business, having that personal touch can also humanize your platform, but that doesn’t have to be present for you to have a good time.
In this post, we’ll discuss a few measures for bettering your social media feeds.
Deselect Content You Dislike
Some social media platforms have the ability to mark content you’re “not interested” in. Perhaps a post comes up about a toxic political topic. Mark enough of these as not interested, and the algorithm will show less of it to you. Certainly don’t like or comment. Moreover, you can block accounts you’re not interested in to prevent them from showing up.
Consider Following Topics
When a social media platform intends to curate content you’re interested in but has no data on your activity, it will throw everything at the wall to see what sticks. This is why following topics can be helpful, and even posting with certain hashtags can help too. For example, you might follow fashion retailers, topics and even post your morning brunch in wonderful Johnny Was maxi Boho dresses to connect with others who value those brands, show your wonderful morning date with friends, and add a bit of positivity to the timeline. Of course, you can also set up privacy settings so only those you trust will see your post.
Set Usage Timers
Many modern phone platforms such as Android and iOS allow you to set the times you have on each platform or app. For example, maybe you limit yourself to thirty minutes of Instagram a day, which is more than enough to respond to posts, like those you enjoy, share words of friendship with your friend, and more. Put a stipulation that these apps can’t be used to message you to save on worry (anyone who has your number or main social medias will know how to contact), and then move on. Sometimes, it’s not the quality of the social media we consume, but the quantity of it out there. This can also help you beat the trick of software designers constantly puzzling over how to catch your engagement.
With this advice, you’ll be certain to better your social media feeds.
