Feeling Trapped in Social Media

[TryingToBe]

Salam Everyone,

What does one do when they feel totally trapped in Social media? Instagram, Facebook, Whatsapp and what not

When it starts taking toll on things that really matter. For example, it takes your time away from work, where your performance starts to get affected. and then, it starts affecting your sleep cycles. Health Starts to deteriorate. Where does it stop or what should we do to stop this viscous cycle?

I think it has negatively affected my personal and professional development. 

Please help, anyone?

[starlight]

Salam, 

What you are saying is indeed true. The solution is take control and limit the use of these platforms.

I personally use only Facebook and whatsapp, probably these are the only two I will ever use. Despite people asking me to start using others I have stayed away from twitter, instagram, pinterest, snapchat....................

So, the first thing you should do is decide one or two which you will use and disable the accounts on the rest.

Next, if you have downloaded apps on your phone like facebook messenger, uninstall those.

Third, adjust the notification settings so that you don't get updates on your phone. 

[eloquence]

Assalamu Alaykum

I was also deeply trouble by social media much the same. It gave me terrible anxiety about everything - the content I posted, how often I posted, how many people liked my posts, WHO liked my posts. Even if I didn't have notifications or disabled them I went back to check every couple of minutes. I felt like my worth was based solely on my social media and how people perceived me because of it. 

I thought I had made many "friends" through social media but in the end I realized most of them weren't my friends at all.

And I monitored other people's posts much the same as mine, I always asked myself how to get more likes and followers and the like. It is a terrible cycle you fall into. 

At the end, I deleted everything. I didn't know how else to solve this. In the beginning it was difficult as I had been practically addicted but eventually I got over it and into more productive hobbies.

Social media is also something that can take you away from God and weaken your spirituality and after deleting, I felt this return to me.

Nowadays I check back once in a while but it still gives me anxiety. 

What sister starlight said are great ideas to try and lessen your social media activity. If that cannot help perhaps you can try total abstinence.

May Allah ease our struggles 

Edited April 5, 2016 by starlight
fixed font size

[zainabamy]

Wa aleikum as salam,

I've never had trouble with social media, which I know is incredibly rare. I mainly use it because its easy to stay in touch with friends and its a great source of finding out information as well as doing dawah. If its affecting you maybe it might be best to cut back abit or leave it all together. Whatever you feel comfortable with. 

[TryingToBe]

6 hours ago, starlight said:

So, the first thing you should do is decide one or two which you will use and disable the accounts on the rest.

Next, if you have downloaded apps on your phone like facebook messenger, uninstall those.

Third, adjust the notification settings so that you don't get updates on your phone. 

Ok, first, i disabled accounts on Facebook, Snapchat BUT i wasn't able to stay away for more than a couple of years for SnapChat and a couple of days for Facebook

Second, I uninstalled Facebook's main app but i always go on to the browser to check the newsfeed and complete my compulsive behavior  Another problem with Facebook deactivation is that i have joined a non-profit and i need facebook for the purpose of keeping up-to-date with that. It has been a major hurdle in getting rid of my facebook account.

 

Third, it works for some of the apps like whatsapp and Instagram. But i have noticed, since i have disabled these notifications; i tend to go more often to these social media apps in order to check them. So, until unless i am dong something urgent, i always find the way back into the app and complete the cycle

 

Seems as though i have tried and tested all these tactics but still thanks a lot for the response, i might use some of it more seriously in order to lessen my social media use

 

[Muhammed Ali]

1 hour ago, TryingToBe said:

Seems as though i have tried and tested all these tactics but still thanks a lot for the response, i might use some of it more seriously in order to lessen my social media use

Have you deeply contemplated over why you keep wanting to use these things? Such contemplation can make the lower processes give up the production of some desires when  they realise their absurdity.

 

Also find better distractions (e.g. work on a project) that you can get habituated to.

[TryingToBe]

11 hours ago, Muhammed Ali said:

Also find better distractions (e.g. work on a project) that you can get habituated to.

I have many such better distractions but somehow, i manage to use social media. Also, you are right about contemplation about my current state, i need to do that.