When Social Media Becomes Toxic

Social media can be a great place. It’s a good way to connect with people you once lost touch with, connect with businesses you like, and come across opportunities you might not find elsewhere. But as we all know by now, it can also be a toxic haven of hate comments, insecurity, and fierce competition among users for the most attention.

You may find yourself not enjoying social media at some point. If it becomes too toxic for you to handle, there are ways to manage that so it doesn’t affect you too much. Here are three tips to help you out when social media becomes toxic.

1. Remember That Social Media isn’t Real Life

This has been said time and time again, but it needs to be said here- social media is NOT real life. People edit their photos (even myself) to varying degrees. Some use a filter or two to make their photos look cooler; others go crazy on Photoshop to make themselves look as amazing as possible. Also, social media is merely a highlight reel that often shows the best parts of a person’s life- not everything. Remembering these important things will help make social media less of a toxic place.

2. Unfollow Anyone Who Make You Feel Bad

If there are any social media accounts you’re following who make you feel bad, unfollow them. If the account makes you feel insecure, jealous, upset, or another feeling like that, then stop following them. Deleting anybody who’s toxic in your life is a great way to make your life better. You wouldn’t want to keep anyone toxic in your real life- so why should they stay with you on social media? It’ll only make going on social media a more toxic environment for you to go through.

3. Take Breaks from Social Media When Necessary

One other thing that can make social media toxic is being on it too much. Even if you use it for work (be it a little or a lot), you shouldn’t let social media consume you. That will only make things worse for yourself. That’s why you need to take breaks from all social media platforms regularly. Start small (one hour a day), and then build up if need be. This will keep social media from becoming toxic because you won’t be on it too much to obsess over it.

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If social media is becoming a toxic environment for you, don’t just accept it. Taking the steps above to fix this issue is important if you want social media to be more of a better place. It won’t happen overnight, but it can be achieved with a little time and effort put in.

xo,

Elizabeth