Social Media Mental Checklist
by Sonia Cherian
Have you ever found yourself scrolling on social media, unsure of how you got there? I have experienced this disorienting sensation many times; my Instagram app seemed to magically open whenever I was waiting in-between classes, struggling to begin working on a complex project, or navigating small talk at an unfamiliar social event. In response to feelings of boredom or anxiety, my instinct was to pick up my phone and open social media. Captivated by the infinite amount of engaging content from friends and celebrities, social media scrolling provided a temporary respite from whatever task, emotion, or problem I was experiencing in the moment.
However, this instinct posed two major problems. First, social media screentime nearly never resolved the real-life issue at hand; rather, it delayed any possible productive response. Second, opening social media on an instinct meant that I could not mindfully engage with online content, causing me to lose track of time while scrolling and become vulnerable to social comparison on these platforms.
In an attempt to curb this habit, I first restricted my ability to access social media platforms: I set time limits and moved my social media apps away from my home screen such that they required more effort to open. While these strategies were effective in the moment, they did not help me move towards becoming more mindful and intentional about my social media use overall. So, I created a quick mental reflection checklist (TEPA) to follow before clicking on my social media apps:
Time: how much time do I want to spend scrolling? Set a timer as a reminder of when it’s time to close the app.
Emotions: how am I feeling now, and how do I want to feel after scrolling? Will engaging with social media accomplish this emotional state shift, or are there any other strategies I can try first?
Plan: make a plan for how I want to engage with social media within my chosen timeframe. Do I want to stick to viewing content from only people I follow, or do I also want to view personalized content on the explore page; how could the goals behind these types of content differ? Do I intend to view stories or check my direct messages?
Affirmation: remember that social media distorts reality. See below for some more affirmation inspiration:
All online content is curated or edited in some way, so I shouldn’t compare my reality to someone else’s online highlights.
The world is so much greater than my social media feed alone.
Reality is the other 90% of my friends’ lives that is not posted.
This four-step checklist generally takes me one minute to complete. Committing to a moment of reflection before opening social media has helped me be more intentional about my social media use and critically analyze the content I view online, leading to more positive experiences in the digital world. I hope this checklist does the same for you!