Self-regulating to curtail social media use

Globally, people spend about 2 hours and 24 minutes on social media every day, while those in the United States spend on average of 10 minutes less.

I would have thought those numbers would be higher. One day it likely will be as each subsequent generation will have grown up with this technology. After all, I remember a time when there wasn’t social media.

A mural in Baja Sur, Mexico, shows how the internet can fill one’s mind with emptiness. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

I don’t know how much time I spend on social media, but I know recently it’s consciously been less. I used to have Facebook and X up all the time on my computer. Facebook mostly to take a break from work. Now I check it on my phone when I wake up and go to bed; it’s sort of a check in with friends, if you will.

I used X to scroll for any news of interest, since it’s mostly news sites that I followed. While I’ve closed my X account, now I pay attention to BlueSky primarily for the same reasons—checking for news of interest.

Considering I don’t work for a daily newspaper, it really isn’t necessary to scroll through news sites multiple times a day. If it’s really breaking news, I’ll get an email alert.

When I’m bored or have time to kill I watch short video clips. This is usually at night or first thing in the morning. These are delivered via Facebook and Instagram. Most are animal related; some are snippets from TV shows or movies. It’s mindless entertainment that I don’t spend much time on.

Curtailing social media use was easy. I don’t miss it. I don’t know if I really have more time in my day, but I actually feel more relaxed. Is it just not having that stimulation that has made the difference? Or is it not reading so much negativity? Or is it that I’m filling my time with more rewarding endeavors?

I don’t know the answer, I just like the outcome.

Social media, especially for younger people, is a health concern.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services last year in a press release said: “Social media use by young people is nearly universal, with up to 95 percent of young people ages 13-17 reporting using a social media platform and more than a third saying they use social media ‘almost constantly.’”

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy in that same release said, “The most common question parents ask me is, ‘is social media safe for my kids’. The answer is that we don’t have enough evidence to say it’s safe, and in fact, there is growing evidence that social media use is associated with harm to young people’s mental health. Children are exposed to harmful content on social media, ranging from violent and sexual content, to bullying and harassment. And for too many children, social media use is compromising their sleep and valuable in-person time with family and friends. We are in the middle of a national youth mental health crisis, and I am concerned that social media is an important driver of that crisis–one that we must urgently address.”

In November, Australia implemented a law banning everyone younger than 16 from using sites like Facebook, X, TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram. Some say this goes too far, that it denies people their rights and further isolates marginalized communities.

I’m often an advocate for less government, but I also know there are rules for a reason. There are age criteria for driving, smoking and drinking, even who is supposed to wear a bike helmet.

Self-regulation of social media by users and providers has not created a healthy outcome, so I understand the need for greater oversight.

Maybe grass-roots action would help. Take a look at the example you are setting for the young people in your life. How often are you on some device—especially around that young person? How often do you ask about what they are doing-reading-watching on their devices? What about simply mandating no devices at the breakfast or dinner table—even if young people aren’t around? What about devices not being allowed in bedrooms?

The world has a social media problem. I bet most of us could be part of the solution.