By: Kayleigh Johnson, Promotions Copywriting Coordinator
As a 2004 baby, I have had Instagram since middle school, and I cannot recall a single day I have not opened the app since. It has become muscle memory at this point. Since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, my screen time has exponentially grown as school, work and entertainment have become increasingly digitized.
Many internships I have applied to require a “passion for social media” and someone who “keeps up with the latest trends and changes in social media.” Although I am passionate about media and the latest trends, there are times when social media does more harm than good. According to Gloria Mark, PhD, Chancellor’s Professor of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine since 2004, attention span on a screen has decreased from an average of 2 and a half minutes to 47 seconds (Mills). If social media is negatively impacting our attention span, then how can we stay in the loop while maintaining focus in the workplace? How do we reconcile working in media with creating a positive relationship to our screen time?
The truth is nobody has it all figured out. Navigating the ever-changing internet and media industry can feel daunting. As we all figure out how to protect ourselves while working in the field, my best advice is to establish your own boundaries and learn to do whatever is going to keep you healthiest.
Being chronically online does have its perks. Since joining Inigo, it has been instrumental to have a finger on the pulse of social media trends. Without keeping up with the internet’s ever-changing slang, memes and media, I would not have been able to deliver our clients content that catered to the Gen Z audience they often hope to attract. Regardless, I often find it difficult to peel my eyes from my phone screen. My parents have even started to joke that I act like I only have one hand because the other is always occupied by my phone.
As you work to create a healthier relationship with your media consumption, consider these tips to ensure you are protecting yourself from a social media addiction while keeping up with the communication industry’s demands.
Make an account just for work
Because being active on social media is almost unavoidable while working in the communications industry, make separate accounts for work-related activity. This way, your work content will not interfere with your personal algorithm, and you can better keep track of when you are being productive on social media versus doom-scrolling.
Scroll with intention
Before you open Snapchat, X, or YouTube ask yourself, “What do I hope to get out of this experience?” Am I looking for a connection? Am I searching for inspiration? Am I in need of entertainment? Am I brainstorming for your next project? Am I just procrastinating emptying the dishwasher? If you open your socials with a purpose, it can help mitigate the habit of scrolling just to scroll.
Set limits
Luckily, Apple introduced Screen Time settings where you can place time limits on certain apps. Limits help me to hold myself accountable for how much time I am spending on social media. Even if I ignore the limit, I am more aware of how much time I spend on social media each day.
Pro tip: if you’re constantly pressing “Ignore Limit,” you can add a passcode to your Screen Time settings. Swap phones with a friend, roommate, or family member and input a passcode only you can guess. This way, there is no possible way you can skip the limit.
Create device free zones
It is important to establish spaces in your home reserved just for relaxation. For example, working in bed can have negative impacts on sleep. According to psychotherapist and behavioral sleep medicine therapist Annie Miller, “‘When we use our bed for other activities, like working, reading, watching TV, etc., we create an association with wakefulness. We want the bed to be a cue for sleep, and working in bed weakens this association,’” says Miller (Hubbard). Keeping devices out of the bedroom can help to ensure we get quality sleep and have a space where our minds can take a break from work and the media.
Be mindful of notifications
Personally, every time I see Outlook, Gmail, or Teams notifications on my phone, I immediately unlock it. Instead, we can slow down and dedicate time to reply to work-related notifications. Turning off notifications during certain times of day can also be an easy way to prevent work from seeping into your home life.
All in all, there is no “right” way to navigate social media use in the communications industry. Not even the industry’s best and brightest know exactly how to maintain a perfect media-driven work-life balance. Do not get caught up in guilt for using social media; it is an important tool, especially for communications professionals. By reframing our relationship, we can work towards a healthier relationship with social media. Altogether we will figure it out, one TikTok ban at a time.
Opmerkingen