Why You Should Spend Less Time on Facebook

Hana Klokner 19 March 2017

Can you imagine life without Facebook? Or without all social media? Probably not. An average social media user spends over 3 hours on their phone. An average Facebook visit is 10-12 minutes. Instagram is about 20 minutes. As a social media expert and daily user, I can tell, at least for myself, that it’s a lot of time. But is it really worth it? This is the question I ask myself more and more frequently. Apparently, I’m not the only one.

The Common Issue with Facebook

I’ve had a lot of friends telling me the same thing: I keep spending too much time on Facebook. I “feel tired” after I scroll down the Newsfeed. Facebook drains my energy. I use Facebook to procrastinate. It’s very distractive – I come to reply one message, I spend 10 minutes on watching pointless videos. But why is that so?

Recently I read an article in a Marie Claire magazine citing Dr Sani Mann, author of The Upside Of Downtime, saying: “Scrolling and swiping are fast-paced, passive activities – we’re not using our brains very much, so we feel dissatisfied.”

Aha! Now that makes sense. And it even gets worse, as she continues, “That’s when we start second-screening – watching TV and scrolling the net at the same time. But that makes things worse, because we’re even less focused.”

No Phones Allowed On Night Table

Luckily, I don’t own a TV but I’m absolutely guilty of checking my phone before bed, in the morning and at times when I know I’m not going to reply. It leaves me feeling empty and busy at the same time. So, one thing I started doing past week is that I removed my phone from my night table.

Ever woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t fall asleep? Chances are that if your phone is on the night table, you’ll start checking your messages or scrolling the newsfeed. Removing your phone from the night table also removes the temptation of going online.

Beyond Discipline

The best antidote against “checking too much on Facebook” syndrome I know is discipline. Stop. Checking. Facebook. Every. 5. Minutes. It’s as hard and easy as that. And that’s exactly the problem – not all of us are so disciplined. Just like Simon Sinek explains in the video below, it’s probably for the best if you leave your phone behind when you go to social events. Otherwise you’ll be checking on your phone every minute when your friends leave to the toilet.

Feed Your Brain With The Right Stuff

One of the things that have worked for me and never fail to keep my brain working – meaning I have focus and I don’t jump from thing to thing – is simply feeding my brain with the right stuff. What’s the “right stuff”? Activities that keep you engaged for a longer period of time and help you “get into the zone”. Reading a book is probably one of the simplest things, as well as physical exercise. Creative activities such as blogging or writing, painting, playing an instrument are a great example that will keep you satisfied.

How much time do you spend on social networks every day? And what are your tricks for keeping focused during the day?