Last week, I wrote a post called “You Might Be Addicted to Social Media If.” As I read over that post now, I realize it was pretty negative…lots of concern, few suggestions. So today, I wanted to offer a practical suggestion. If you want to break the bondage of social media addiction, here’s one tip to help!
We can’t get rid of computers and smart phones. They’re here to stay. Plus, there are many wonderful things about technology and social media.
I’m not suggesting we close down all accounts or throw out our phones. But I am suggesting we make some changes…starting with this one.
One Way to Break the Bondage of Social Media Addiction:
If you want to break a social media addiction, one tip to help you do that is to have both online and offline hours.
On a typical day when my kids are in school, my online hours are:
From wakeup-7:00 AM (if time allows)
From 1-3 PM (when both of my kids are in school or the youngest is napping)
After 8 PM (when my kids are in bed)
The rest of the hours in the day are offline hours (or, at least, I want them to be…I’m still working on it).
It’s certainly not a perfect system. As a stay-at-home mom, it’s hard to set online hours. My routine can change in an instant when someone starts throwing up. Or I have to take a child to the doctor. Or a nap gets off schedule.
The point of online/offline hours is not to create rigidity, but to help you use the time you have wisely and remember what matters most.
When my kids are awake, I want to be with them. When my husband is off work, I want to spend time with him.
I want to really be with my family.
I don’t want to be distracted by my phone or computer.
On the other hand, when my kids are at school or go down for naps, I want to be intentional about the time I have to work or play. When I know I only have two hours, I take advantage of my time.
What do you think? Do you have online/offline hours? Do you think this system would work for you? Why or why not?
*This post was originally published in 2012, but has been updated here.
*On this topic…my kids are finishing up school this week, so my online hours will be changing. If I’m slow to respond or don’t post here as often, that’s why 🙂
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It's hard to do, but something I think is totally worth it!
I've instated offline hours, too. It helps everyone's attitudes when we limit screen time (of all kinds), including my own. Like you said, I want to *really* be with the kids during the day… I'm so thankful to even be with them, I want to use that time well!