7 signs you have an unhealthy attachment to social media

There is a reason the word “pervasive” is often used right alongside social media.

For many of us, the social channels we use to connect with others for personal or professional reasons are a big part of every day.

Unhealthy attachment to social media is when you find yourself scrolling mindlessly, whenever you get the chance.

But how much is too much? Below are 7 signs to watch out for:

1. You get your news from Facebook
That’s, well, scary. And dangerous. And ill-advised. And not the point of the website. Pick up a newspaper or turn on the actual news. Read more, scroll less.

2. You are incapable of sitting still without an electronic device plastered to your hand
You will be ok if you don’t have your phone with you all the time. It’s ok to go for a walk without your phone. You can wait in line without social media as your companion. You don’t have to check in with other people when your own life is happening all around you. Boredom will not kill you – it’s ok to be still.

3. The first thing you do in the morning is to go on Facebook
Or Instagram. Or twitter. Or whatever platform makes you lose all sense of time and space for an hour or two. And yes, you do lose that much time. You probably lose more. Perhaps you could say hello to the ones you live with before you start your daily scroll. Do you make coffee before you jump into social media? Or are you not even caffeinated before you start your scroll?

4. Instead of going to bed whenever you crawl under the covers – you reach for the phone and start scrolling
And before you know it, you’re going to bed a half-hour, an hour, two hours later than you had intended. And then when you wake up in the morning, you’re cranky, because you didn’t get a proper amount of sleep. You didn’t even get good sleep. Put down the phone before you go to bed. If you want to read before you go to sleep – grab a book.

5. Envy starts bubbling up like a bad meal that will not go away
You begin playing that comparison game, and you don’t even realize it. But it comes swiftly, and it packs a punch, too. Like when you start telling yourself that everyone is in love. Or everyone is having a baby. Or everyone has more money than you, and more success than you, and more happiness than you. They don’t. Social media is a curated reel. People post what they want you to see – don’t forget that.

6. You need to post everything on social media all the time.
You don’t need to post every single highlight of your life on the internet. You don’t have to post the mundane things, either. You don’t have to post at all. It’s ok to share your joys, and it’s ok to keep them private for a while. Just because you didn’t post it, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. You’re allowed to keep whatever you want close to your vest.

7. You look at your screens more than you look at the faces of the ones who surround you
Stop scrolling, and posting, and engaging in the comments section of whatever is sucking your time. There’s nothing wrong with having discussions – have them in real life.