Transcripts
1. Introduction: Hello and welcome to social media detox. A class about how to stop scrolling and accomplish your goals. My name is Sarah, and I'm excited to delve into this topic with you. First off this classes for anyone, Whether you're a young professional, a teenager or a grand parent, this class is going to show you some practical tips to use social media more intentionally , whether you're sick of social media or you love it. And Rana, every day we are going to discuss how to apply this to your life to your specific situation . So we're going to start out with a broad overview of what it means to take a social media detox in the ways within which we can accomplish that. But eventually we are going to ask that very important question of how do I apply this to my life and to my particular situation, including any ways in which it might be hard for you to distance yourself from social media for this class, you want a notebook and something to write with a significant part of beginning a social media detox is reflecting on why we use social media in the first place and making a strategic plan to spend less time on it. Our class project is simple. Identify 2 to 3 boundaries. He would like to place on your use of social media and set a date and time to implement them. I call this your strategic plan. You'll then share this with the class in a brief paragraph or two. So don't forget to take notes and don't hesitate to hit. Pause. If you need a moment to reflect last, I'm going to assume you have a basic knowledge of social media platforms and how to change settings. For example, How done? Follow someone on Facebook vs unfriending them. If you're not sure how to change a setting, just click the help link in your social media platform of choice. You can also feel free to post in our class discussion. I am going to assume you also have some basic organizational habits, such as keeping a calendar and making to do lists. If you feel you're struggling in this area, skill share has some great courses on productivity, so check those out without further ado. Let's get started
2. Getting Started: What is a social media detox? Social media detox can mean a lot of things. Thankfully, this isn't one of those detox is that requires lots of green juice and saying no to carbs. Rather, we're talking about a way to free up both time and brain space that you could be using for the things in life you really care about. Whether that's needing a work deadline or spending more time with your family, we're going to talk about refining our social media feeds so that if we do continue to use Facebook, instagram, etcetera are feeds become a place where we consume content intentionally from people and organizations we most care about. So how do I start? First, I want to talk about the option of taking time off social media entirely. Take out your calendar and pick a day or weekend that you won't use social media at all. Not even for a quick glance. Make sure you won't have any social or work related obligations during that time. That will give you an excuse to get online. I'm going to encourage you to make social media three days a part of your regular rhythm of life This practice reminds us that we don't need social media in the same way we need food , water or shelter. It can sometimes feel that way. It gives us the opportunity to live our lives at a slower pace without a constant stream of new information. And the best part taking a day, a week, a month, even a year off social media allows us to get bored. Yes, board boredom is so important because it makes room for our minds to get creative. It forces us to tackle projects we've been putting off and to come up with our own ideas rather than relying on everyone else's moral of the story. Even if you can't or won't stay off social media forever, you can always find time to take a day off.
3. Creating Boundaries & Decluttering Your Feeds: next. I want to talk about boundaries. Boundaries are often seen as a bad thing, but let me tell you how great they could be. Boundaries allow us to enjoy a good thing, whether that's ice cream or social media before the point that it starts making us feel really gross. In the context of social media, a boundary can be a set time that you designate for logging onto social media each day. Or it could be a really long password that makes logging onto your accounts, take longer and feel kind of annoying. So you have time to question whether you even need the log in in the first place. In other words, a boundary on your social media life will make it hard, if not impossible, to spend a limited time scrolling in our project page. For this class, you'll find a list of dozens I've ideas for boundaries to pick from. Please feel free to come up with your own as well and share them in our class discussion. Now, assuming you still plan to use social media to some degree, you want to set aside time to declutter your feeds in the same way that Marie condo tells us to declutter our homes needed to clutter and refine what we consume online. As you scroll through your feeds, Ask yourself, What am I getting from this post? Do I find myself getting more connected to the person who posted it? If the post provides information, is it? Fact checked and reliable content takes time to consume and should be chosen wisely. Give yourself permission to remove people and organizations from your feet that don't align with your personal or professional goals. This doesn't mean on following everyone who disagrees with you. Just taking the time to pause and consider whether the content of person is posting is valuable for you to see or know. For example, I often accept friend requests on Facebook from people I know and like. But I'm not very close with and make a habit oven falling. Most of these friends, particularly those who post a lot of content it's nothing personal. It's just that each post I read it takes time as well as mental and emotional energy to take in a similar way. If you're struggling with something in particular, such as infertility or alcoholism, there are certain posts that are just not helpful and could be really distracting was mentally and emotionally taking the time to curate the post. That show up in your feet will ultimately save you time in the long run.
4. Filling the Gap: So far, we've talked about taking days off social media, establishing boundaries for when we do use it and decluttering our feeds. The next step is probably the most vital part of a social media detox, and that's filling the gap as we reduce our time on social media. That's the whole point of this class, right to fill the hours we used to spend scrolling with meaningful activities that drive us toward our goals. So the next time you're tempted to log on, what are you going to do instead? Identify if you go to tasks or projects you want to prioritize clothes the's on a sticky note on your fridge on your desk next to your phone. You can even take a photo of the list and set it as your desktop background. You want to think of a few easy tasks to complete on your phone when you're standing in line or waiting for a friend at a coffee shop. Personally, I open up my grocery store APS and clip digital coupons when I could otherwise check Instagram. Sometimes I update my to do list or clean up my email. If you tend towards social media when you just need to veg out and relax. Think of some ways to relax away from a screen. Sign up for a class at a local gym during a hiking or a knitting group. Start volunteering. Even if you don't feel like leaving your house, you can always pick up a book or teach yourself a new hobby in case you haven't noticed. Still sure has some really great classes on everything from beginners painting to interior decorating.
5. Class Project: Your Strategic Plan: Now it's time to talk about your strategic plan. Our class project is to select 2 to 3 boundaries to place on your social media life. Set a time to implement them and share that plan with the class super simple right. But before we move forward, I want to emphasize something. None of these ideas will matter if you don't come up with a strategic plan to move forward with them. I realize there are people out there whose job it is to keep you on social media every hour of every day. That's the way these sites make money by exploiting human psychology. So don't just have a vague goal. Is spending less time scrolling? Make it to do list? Set specific times on your calendar For each tasks put reminder notes on your phone and computer. Do whatever it takes to make social media detox a priority in your life today and in the weeks and months to come And remember no one ever looked back on their life, wishing they spend more time scrolling. I have included a list of ideas for boundaries on our class project page, but for now, here's some questions to reflect on What are all the reasons you feel tied to social media ? If you were to delete your social media accounts tomorrow, what would you miss most? How's this video and make a list? Then make a list of ways you can fulfill those same needs outside of social media. Sure, you might not have an answer for everything, and that's okay. As I mentioned, I've compiled plenty of ideas for you to think over that you can access through our class project page. And, as always, you can post on the class discussion for feedback. You feel stuck after you've taken some time to reflect. You'll be ready to create your own strategic plan for your social media detox. Pick those two or three boundaries. Do you want to start with and decide when you will implement them? Specifically, block out your calendar. Post your boundaries where you can see them daily. Use The resource is on the project page to continue adding boundaries until you feel you're getting what you want out of social media and nothing more last. Don't forget to start your class project and share a bit of your strategic plan with the rest of the class. Remember, you don't have to do this alone. You have your skill share piers and thoughts are you have friends and co workers who feel unsatisfied with their social media experience. Don't be afraid to reach out and ask someone to hold you accountable to your goals. Like all things worth doing, refining our social media habits is hard. It's boring at times, and it requires both creativity and sacrifice. Just keep moving forward, even if it's just an inch at a time. Thank you so much for tuning into my class. Please do feel free to follow me on skill share or instagram for future class updates, and I wish you all the best on your social media journey.
Sarah Smith, writer, thinker, minimalist
