Now more than ever, it's clear that our social media consumption and phone usage have skyrocketed. The days of casually scrolling to catch up on a cousin's new baby or a best friend's honeymoon adventures while waiting for a coffee are long behind us. As of January 2024, global social media users have climbed from 4.72 billion to 5.04 billion1 — that's a significant jump. So, it's no surprise that when my phone pings with my weekly screen time report, it's not exactly a moment I look forward to. I bet I'm not the only one.

It is undeniable that we are living in a way too far interconnected world where social media platforms have transformed into a powerhouse marketing tool, a ladder for business growth, and a personal branding tool that we can use to help us land that dream job... how fun? It seems social media went from a way to disconnect from the real world, to a way to be fully connected, at all times.. scary if you think about the repercussion this bring to our psychological health.

More than half the world population has some form of social media platform (X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok- to name a few) with more platforms being created day to day, now developing into reality games or immersive experiences designed to keep us fully engaged even when we are just trying to catch a break and play a few games or scroll to find a recipe or two. It is highly important that we are the ones advocating for our ourselves by controlling our social media use. Studies show that "Online social networks have many effects and dangers on individual mental health, and excessive use causes depression, anxiety, violence, addiction, and body image distortions in individuals2"

Here are some general tips that may help you with controlling your scrolls:

• Set Specific Times for Social Media: Allocate certain times of the day for checking social media, and stick to them. Avoid random scrolling throughout the day.

• Use Time-Limiting Features: Most smartphones and social media platforms have settings that allow you to limit your daily usage. Set these to remind you when you’ve reached your allocated time.

• Turn Off Non-Essential Notifications: Disable notifications for social media apps. This prevents constant pings from pulling you back into the apps for no good reason.

• Curate Your Feed: Unfollow or mute accounts that trigger negative emotions or waste your time. Focus on content that is useful, uplifting, or genuinely interesting.

• No-Screen Time: Establish certain times or places as no-screen zones, such as during meals, right before bed, or in the bedroom.

• Mindful Scrolling: Before opening a social media app, ask yourself why you're doing it. Is it out of habit, boredom, or genuine interest? Being more mindful can help reduce unnecessary usage.

• Engage in Real Life: Make plans that involve face-to-face interaction or activities that don't involve screens, like reading a book, going for a walk, or trying out a new hobby.

• Track Your Usage: Regularly review your screen time statistics to understand your habits better. Awareness is the first step to change.

• Try Social Media Sabbaticals: Consider taking regular breaks from social media, such as one day a week or every other weekend.

At Crimson Vista, we're deeply committed to safeguarding what truly matters: your mental health and time. We believe in empowering you to take charge of the information your mind consumes. Following insightful discussions with our President, Seth James Nielson, PhD, CISSP , we've made a conscious decision. Moving forward, all content we share on platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram will carry a social media usage warning. It's our way of contributing, a gentle nudge to remind everyone about the potential health risks tied to overindulging in these digital spaces.