Ways To Use Social Media For Your Own Benefit

Social media has been at the forefront of many debates. Some argue that social media has compromised real human interaction, ruined relationships, affected peoples’ self-images, and so on. Meanwhile, others argue that social media does have its pros and are advocates for its usage. Both sides certainly present valid arguments with their own merits.

Here, I want to share some ways social media can actually be beneficial. While many argue against it, there are ways in which social media can be used to make it more rewarding and enriching. Whether social media is favorable in our lives or not depends largely on how it’s used.

How to benefit from social media

Here are 8 ways in which social media can be used in our favor.

1. Connect with the right people

One of the biggest problems with people’s social media use is that they follow/friend people who they may not like or care for very much. These people may range from mildly toxic to complete bullies. Now if there is bullying going on, it should be reported. On the less extreme end, any time someone even makes you mildly uncomfortable you should not have a connection with them on social media (whether by removing or blocking).

This can be anyone: a jealous friend, a rude co-worker or someone who just downright posts too much annoying content. Depending on how bad the nature of the social media connection is, resolving the problem can range anywhere from seeing if there is a mute option on the specific platform you are using or outright blocking. Different social media platforms have different options, but muting and blocking are available for pretty much all the major ones.

Maybe there is someone who always posts vacation pictures and you can’t go on a vacation yourself due to financial reasons. Now blocking this person may be too much (unless you absolutely feel a need to), but muting them (if the option is available) is not wrong. Remember, if someone or something on social media makes you uncomfortable, you do not have to put up with it.

Another major source of discomfort for many social media users is an ex. This is a big one. If you are not happy being connected with them then don’t. Remove or block them if you feel that is best but also try muting them if you insist on keeping that connection opened. If you do decide to mute and not remove, you have to use willpower to assure you NEVER visit their profile or stock their activity.

2. Connect with educational accounts

Social media may not be renowned for having educational content but there is actually plenty of it on almost all major platforms. Try to focus on following accounts that post within this category. This type of content is seldom toxic and it also helps you improve as a person. Broadening your horizons by following an account that teaches you a skill, for example, is much more beneficial than a lot of the material that gains popularity out there. Social media can be a surprising source of knowledge when we look for the right content. Do that and your time on social media may very well become enriching. Time spent learning is not time wasted.

3. Become a digital tourist

Visually beautiful content can be surprisingly relaxing. Short/long form videos and pictures showing beautiful scenery like sunsets, forests, lakes/oceans, skylines, etc. not only have the potential to remind us of the beauty of the world, they can also have a calming effect. It is unlikely that you will be able to travel to every beautiful destination in the world, so seeing them online is a great way to gain “experiences” without having to physically travel there. I know it may not feel good for everyone to see a friend on a vacation if you can’t go on one, but this is different because the focus is more on the visual appeal and less on the idea of being there.

4. Limit usage time and frequency on social media

The amount of time you spend on social media can make it a waste of time even if you only keep tabs on educational and positive content. While it is a good idea to make your experience on social media as enriching as possible in the time you are on it, you should also use it in moderation. There is a such thing as too much of a good thing and there is no need to fixate on a screen for long hours and miss out on other things in life as a result. You should still be looking for ways to spend time on other activities; chatting with family and friends, reading books, sleeping, etc.

Frequency is another big one when it comes to time on social media. Even if we don’t spend too much time on social media we might habituate ourselves to repeatedly open those apps. Monitoring both is important and not super difficult. Most social media platforms have the option to set usage limits, which notify you to take a break. Use these and set reasonable time limits. A general rule of thumb I like to suggest is no more than 15 minutes per day on social media.

5. Filter out what you don’t want

Many times we can be exposed to posts from accounts we do not follow on social media platforms due to the way they are laid out. Generally, there are algorithms in place which tend to show you content that is likely to be interesting for you. You should also have an option to show you are not interested in a post which may assist this algorithm in better tailoring content for you. Make use of not interested options on social media platforms you use if you have this option or something similar. Also, when we like something we are more likely to be shown more similar content. Make use of the like button to increase your chances of seeing content that aligns with your social media ideals.  

Just like you can block regular people, you most likely have the option to block major accounts, as well. Do so if you feel the content they post does not enrich you. I personally suggest educational content and beautiful scenery (like I discussed here), but you can also focus more on other entertaining materials. Maybe you prefer comedy, satisfying vids, or whatever else. Social media doesn’t always have to be serious. The point is to try and make your experience suited for you.

6. Don’t use social media as a comparison tool

All sorts of posts can be found on social media and some of them may be of people who seem to be having more fun than you, being attractive, and living a dream life. While these may sometimes be true, do remember that what is online may not always reflect people’s real day-to-day lives. Someone may appear happy and may not be. And still it’s possible they appear happy and truly be happy. All this in addition to the fact that with editing or filters we can make almost anything look better than it actually is in real life. Is everyone using editing and a filter? Probably not, but I for one cannot easily tell off first glance.

We can’t use social media to judge others and we should not be using it to judge ourselves in relation to them. Let people enjoy their lives and you find joy in yours. What others do shouldn’t bother you, but if you find that it does and you unintentionally feel envious then that is an indication to use a mute, unfollow/unfriend, or (more extreme) block feature if these are available.

7. Use social media to build your self-esteem

Social media can worsen low self-esteem if used incorrectly but that can be fixed. First of all, try to keep your accounts private (unless you’re a business) so only people you approve can view whatever you might post.

Second, make sure the people you are connected with are trusted and elevate the way you feel about yourself. If someone gets out of line in how they interact with posts, get them off of your social media (and maybe get them out of your life in general).

Moreover, try to limit comments/replies to your content and hide likes (if possible). It might sound cliché, but if someone doesn’t have anything nice to say they shouldn’t be saying anything at all. And while you may not be able to control what people say, you should make efforts to control who can attach their opinions to your posts.

8. Limit what you share

“Moving in silence” is probably one of the best strategies you can employ on social media. Oversharing online should be avoided because it provides little gain. It might feel good to share every one of your minor successes but there really is no need for that. Go ahead and celebrate the small things, but there is no need for it to be plastered online. If you go on vacation try not to make everyone aware of that. Your online presence should not give viewers the full picture of what goes on in your life. Make it separate from your reality and you may find yourself with more peace of mind.

9. Use social media for business

So we’ve focused on using social media properly on a personal level, but you can also put it to use to make you income. Social media is full of opportunities to put out posts that can help you grow your business, spread awareness about a product or service and even become a source of income itself through paid partnerships. Try to build a business image on social media and follow other businesses to grow a network. You can also advertise on social media to draw more attention to something you may have to offer. The point is social media can be an income driver and you should try to maximize on this rather than using it simply as an absorber of content. There are many resources out there on how to use social media to grow a business so you may want to consider researching into that.