How to Stop Doom Scrolling And Using Instagram Too Much!
What is doom scrolling or scrolliosis?
"What the heck is that"?
When asking my gen-z cousin about doomscrolling she was not even aware there is a growing problem!
Scrolliosis is a term defined by Urban Dictionary as “ The immobilization you catch from lying about, scrolling on your phone for hours”. While there are known mental implications, I am curious to see what the long-term effects of dooms scrolling has on our physical health and structure. Watch out y’all, we are on the verge of becoming hunched-back zombies controlled by AI!
With all that in mind, I wanted to provide some steps you can take to make Instagram work for you and avoid the potential burnout, uncertainty, anxiety, depression, and unnecessary and unhealthy self-comparisons!
1. Start using Instagram collections! This is a new feature where you can save your inspirational, creative, and meaningful posts from your favorite social media accounts. Build out your collections based on categories and set aside time to review and analyze what value they bring to your life and whether you are truly going to make use of them. Also, consider sharing a collection publicly with a private group of friends. Here you can all contribute ideas for friends-only vacations or weekend outings. Try to collaborate with other small businesses in your local area by showcasing events and specials to help market your small business. You can also stay up on trending reel audio with colleagues or other marketing professionals. Truly with Instagram Collections, the opportunities are endless! We have posted a video on creating collections, you should check it out if you have questions!
2. Pick an idea to try or a product to purchase each week so that you are spending time on it in a way that benefits or enhances your life with Instagram. Stop endlessly scrolling and tapping your way through the day, instead take control! Pick a day of the week to plan what action a items you are going to take.
3. Use the search, discover, and follow any relevant hashtags. This will allow the Instagram algorithm to understand you better and will continue to provide you with more unique and relevant content. Pro Tip: If you are a creator or business page, you can use the trending reels page to find the latest, greatest, and on the rise audio clips for you to use and increase your reach.
4. Hide and report posts or ads that are not related to your interest. While it may seem tedious, if you are seeing the same ads over and over it’s because you are part of a targeted demographic, and a business or creator page is trying to influence you. If you are not interested in scrolling past the same ads over and over, click the options button and you will see a menu where you can take action and help to manage what you are seeing on a daily basis.
5. Set SMART goals with your time on Instagram. What is the purpose? Are you looking to be inspired? Are you trying to navigate the world of marketing your small business? Want to laugh and share funny posts with friends and colleagues to make the day less painful? Setting specific goals in your scrolling efforts will help you to define what types of categories you should have, how much time you should spend each day, and what life looks like when you are using Instagram to enhance your life versus just wasting passing time!
6. Probably the most important step. Set boundaries. One thing I’ve considered is setting time limits and scrolling with a purpose. Set a timer before you start scrolling and limit yourself to a set number of scrolling sessions per day. There are settings to limit application usage if you’re a child at heart!
Say "no" to letting social media run your life!
