Trisha, curious if u think there are things we should STOP doing on social media!
Hi there, and welcome back to another week of Ask Trish! Happy February! (Can you believe that we’re already 1/12 of the way through 2025?) I hope you’re all well and having a safe, happy start to the month.
Thank you so much to this week’s question-er for the always timely, fantastic, reflective question. (As much as I love doing current events-related content on Ask Trish, these deeper, more introspective questions can be equally fascinating.) Indeed, we spend a lot of time thinking and talking about what we ought to do on social media–spread kindness, engage with content that affirms and uplifts us, take advantage of settings to assert our autonomy and build a digital experience that feels authentic, and beware of harms. But are there widespread social media practices that perhaps we should stop doing? There’s no right answer, of course–but as always, I’ve got what I hope is some interesting food-for thought. Below, find a brief list of some practices that I’d suggest we stop pursuing on social media–and why. Naturally, in light of the question, this is a shorter Ask Trish post–so I’d encourage you, after you finish reading, to take an extra 5-10 minutes and think about which (if any!) of my suggestions feel resonant. Consider: how can you possibly stop doing these things on social media (if you do)? If you’ve got other ideas, please share them in the comments section of this week’s TikTok video!
- Stop…Sharing Every Single Moment. Sharing can be fun…until it becomes overwhelming. If you can’t grab a bite, see a friend, or cook a meal without sharing–and stressing–consider: what if you scaled back on sharing every moment? By sharing the moments that you truly want to share, you can make your content more authentic to who you are.
- Stop…Engaging with Hate. Maybe you’re not saying hateful things on social media…but you see hateful things on social media, and it makes you frustrated. Trust me, I 100% feel the same way. And there are certainly moments when being an Upstander online is not only appropriate, it’s necessary. But in general, commenting on every post that you disagree with might not be the best idea. For one, by engaging with hate, you’re actually giving it a platform–more people will see the content because you’ve engaged with it. And for another, if you choose to respond to that hate with more hate, you’re ultimately spreading more negativity. Consider instead sharing your own, different, kinder point of view on your socials. Your leadership will definitely make a difference!
- Stop…Ignoring Your Privacy. Maybe privacy feels futile in the digital world…but in fact, it can be a really powerful way to protect yourself. So to the extent that you haven’t looked at the privacy settings on your social media apps or regularly share the location that you’re at on social media, consider rethinking your approach. We all want to be seen, but not everything needs to be public. Protect yourself, your space, and your peace.
- Stop…Comparing Yourself With Others. It’s hard not to do it on social media–after all, you’ve got a feed of some of the best moments of your friends’ and influencers’ lives, all curated in a way that may make you feel, well, perhaps not as cute and perfect. But remember: social media is just that–a compilation of moments. It cannot and does not tell the full story. So keep that perspective in mind, always!
- Stop…Mindlessly Scrolling At Night. It’s not good for you–seriously. More blue light=less beauty sleep. And, it’s (generally) some of your least productive phone time. Put differently, it’s when your phone is generally “taking” more (and you’re receiving less). If you can, try and put your phone away at least 30 minutes before bedtime. You will be shocked by how well-rested you feel the next morning!
Thank you all so much. Can’t wait to see you back here next week, for Safer Internet Day 2025, and then the week after, for a look at DeepSeek, the AI platform that took the world by storm last month. And then from there…well, that’s up to you! When you have a moment, please share any internet or tech-related questions, musings, or thoughts with me here. I can’t wait to hear from you–thank you so much in advance for your contributions.
Have a great week,
Trish