The internet is in all offices and homes in most parts of the world and has been an incredible tool for research and other business uses. However, it can also prove to be quite the distraction. Some companies block social media sites to ensure that their employees are not slacking off but most employees possess smartphones that allow them access their social networking profiles sans computer.
“If your urges to stay connected 24/7 bring you to hyperbolic declarations of powerlessness, you can now leave the hyperbole at the door. Results of a new study confirm what you’ve claimed for years: checking email and social media is more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol.” (Nic Halverson, DiscoveryNews.com)
How do you control yourself from going overboard on your social media use? Here are a few tips.
- “The simplest way to ensure you aren’t wasting time in any one place is to monitor your time. Use a stopwatch and set a limit. When time is up, log out, regardless of what’s left. There is always tomorrow.” (Ibrahim Hussein, Lifehack.org) Even if you only check your social media accounts once a day but spend countless hours on them, that can add up to a lot of time wasted. Set limits for yourself and make sure you adhere to your own rules. Set an alarm or get an app that alerts you if you are spending too much time on social media. Once the buzzer goes off, have the discipline to log out.
- Disable social media alerts on your mobile phone and desktop. You do not need to know each and every single post that pops up, when they pop up. This is a strong distraction that can hinder you from getting anything done — or even started.
- If you need to use social media for things other than leisure, you can use tools that schedule posts in advance. This can help you make use of social media for business purposes without distracting you and disrupting your workday.
- Make an honest assessment of how much time you really need to be on social media. Unless your job is directly related to social media, there are only a certain number of times you need to check your accounts. Try to limit it to once or twice a day during the week, and you can check in a bit more during the weekends. Try to find a number you can live with.
- You do not need to read every single link you come across in one sitting. Make a bookmark folder for things you can look at some other time. When you have free time or are done with what you need to do, you can go on and read those articles that you saved.
With so much information available at our fingertips, we may get overwhelmed and feel like we have to get to all of right away. The truth is, most of these things can wait. After all, when did watching a video about cats ever contribute to bettering your work?
“An addiction will cause the individual to lose out on other things on life,” he adds. “For example, spending so much time on social networks at work causes the individual to lose their job. A person can spend too much time in social networks but still are able to function adequately in life. Like any activity there is a need to find balance in what we do.” (Megan Donley, SouthSource)
Guest article written by: Kelly is a professional writer. She is the primary breadwinner of her family at her young age. Her interest lies in reading books and all other interesting stuff about new trends in technology.