Social media's negative impacts on mental health are already a fact. It affects our well-being by intensifying feelings of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and the fear of missing out (FOMO). Not to mention the loss of quality time with family, and friends, and the constant interruption of our focus at work.

However, even by being aware of the negative effects of social media, people won’t simply quit using it due to the dopamine-fuelled rewards these platforms offer. The anticipation of which content might come next keeps us hooked, despite knowing the potential harm.

It's both physically and psychologically addictive. According to Stanford Medicine, social media addiction can be directly compared to drug addiction. What draws us back, even when we’re conscious of its negative impact and have experienced the emotional overwhelm, is the unpredictability of the experience.

We keep returning because we never know what we'll discover online or how much validation we'll receive in the form of likes, comments, and shares. In a world where it is estimated that 4.9 million people use social media—constantly flooding it with a wide range of content—how can we avoid information overload and digital fatigue?

When do we use social media the most

Finding a balance in your social media use is one of the most challenging aspects of staying connected. Without proper management, it’s easy to fall into a cycle of anxiety, depression, and FOMO, where one negative feeling feeds into another. To break this cycle, we need to find ways to distract ourselves from what has become our biggest distraction—social media.

My first tip is to take a more analytical approach to your usage. Start by observing when you’re most likely to reach for your phone and instinctively open a social media app. Below are examples of when we typically used social media the most:

  • During short breaks at work.

  • While eating breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

  • When watching TV.

  • During a conversation.

  • At the gym, or while exercising.

  • Before going to sleep, or as soon as we wake up.

These are just a few examples, but they highlight how deeply ingrained our habit of scrolling through social media has become, and how they can consume us during most times of our days. So by recognising these patterns, we can start taking control and reducing your dependency on constant online interaction.

How to reduce social media usage

Once you’ve identified your most addicting moments of social media usage, it’s time to create mechanisms to keep you off the scrolling.

Keeping your phone away from you is a good way of ensuring that you won't feel the urge to check it so often. During meals, while watching TV, or engaging in any other activity that you won’t need on your phone, leave it in a further room. This reduces the temptation of checking notifications every minute and falling into your social media feeds. Setting up usage time limits is a great way to monitor how much time you spend on your phone. On your phone settings, set a daily limit for your social media apps.

Calling a family member or a friend is fun thing to do when you feel the urge to browse social media, and it helps build and develop our real-life relationships while helping us limit our time on social media. According to The Economist, 91% of FaceTime users and 84% of people who make phone calls report being happier with their time spent on social media platforms compared to 63% of Instagram users who reported being miserable. I’ve experienced this myself—I started calling my family while doing the dishes, instead of “watching” TikTok videos, and it’s made me feel much better than when I’m on my For You page.

Taking a quick walk, playing with your pets, or any slow and easy physical activity can help break the cycle of social media use—this is especially helpful during work breaks if you work from home. It can take around 23 minutes to re-engage with our original task after a social media distraction according to a specialist in The Wall Street Journal. Not to mention that when we are looking for a work break to clear our minds, and we lean into social media, we end up doing the exact opposite and feel even more fatigued.

Playing with a fidget toy can help to occupy our hands and minds, and is a great tool in reducing the need to scroll on our phones. Reading a book is a great way to take our minds off of things and is often a far better way to gain knowledge compared to social media. if you don’t have the habit of reading, I strongly advise you to not start with a book on how to create habits—they will bore you. Start with something you find interesting. Reading doesn’t always have to be about gaining knowledge too—it can also be about enjoying a good story and giving your mind a break.

Stretching and starting a new sport helps to relieve physical and emotional stress, calms the mind, and is a great encouragement when helping us stay disconnected. Engaging in creative activities such as drawing, painting, writing, making collages, starting a scrapbook, or putting up a photo album are also great ways to keep your mind occupied and off social media.

These are just a few ways to avoid social media overwhelm and be more present in your real life. Take the tips, and make sure to adapt them to your reality, preferences, and needs. In our hyperconnected world, avoiding social media overwhelm requires conscious effort and intentional choices. You can reclaim your time and mental well-being by recognising your habits, setting boundaries, and exploring alternative activities.

The key is to find what works best for you, ensuring that social media enhances your life rather than consumes it. Also, keep in mind that it won’t always be easy to maintain consistency—you may occasionally fall into old habits, but you’ll be more prepared to get back into what makes you feel better.