One of the things that stands in between me and being truly intentional with my time is the time I waste spend on social media. I just can’t seem to figure out a ‘trick’ to ensure that the time I’m spending online is worth it or whether I’m using social media as a time-waster to avoid doing things I should be doing (but don’t necessarily want to do) around the house.
I’ve always known this about myself – that I tend to waste time on mindless activities, especially social media.
It’s one of the reasons I was slow to get on Pinterest, Twitter and especially Instagram – I just knew that as soon as I got a smart phone and downloaded these apps, countless hours would be spent on them, which is exactly what happened. I enjoy these apps, I really do; However, (especially now that I’m home full-time) I spend a lot of time mindlessly scrolling through these platforms to see what other people are up to, without actually engaging with them. I mean, I love reading what other people are thinking and/or doing and I especially love pretty pictures, but observing other peoples’ lives through social media cannot possibly be the most productive use of my time.
So how can I be intentional with social media and the internet in general?
I’m going to attempt to participate more.
Does this sound counter-intuitive? Maybe it is.
You see, my goal is to only open these apps only when I have something to actually contribute/create. Whether this contribution might be a post of my own or comments on others, my goal is to intentionally (see how I keep throwing that word in? I’m sticking to my new years resolution, darnit!) participate in the discussion instead of passively reading and absorbing what others are writing.
I want to be equal parts consumer and creator.
I’m going to take this same approach to reading blogs. I’ve already narrowed down the blogs I consistently follow so that I can really read posts instead of browsing them and never actually digesting what the writer is saying. I’m going to attempt to comment more often and with more thought than I may have previously.
These are not big life steps, but I’m hoping they enrich my online experience. I don’t want to continue to ‘waste’ time by browsing through content I’m not actually engaging with, and I’m hoping that by participating more in the greater community that I’ll feel I’m using my time more productively & efficiently and it will become more obvious when I need to put my phone/computer down and spend my time elsewhere instead.
Or maybe I’m crazy to think that using Pinterest/Twitter/Instagram/Facebook can ever be a good use of my time! However, I think anywhere connections can be made, time is well spent.
Are you intentional with the time you spend on social media/blogs?
