It is no secret that social media is taking over the world. Nowadays, it is hard to find someone without a social media account. The rise of social media has also led to an increase in social media addiction.

The risks of social media addiction are immense. They come in different types. There are scams, frauds, identity theft, cyberbullying, and more, especially for students with a full life and career ahead of them. Social media addiction can cause damage to their lives that sometimes cannot be repaired.  

So, we have prepared this article that outlines some of the productivity hacks for students that are social media addicts. 

Social Media and Students: An Overview 

The use of social media continues to grow exponentially as the years go by. Many young teens and students are getting more and more addicted to social media each day. Here are some reports that corroborate this view. 

This report from Mathewwoodward tells us that the number of individuals that suffer from social media addiction worldwide is over 210 million. And 90% of young adults aged 18-29 years do have a social media account on some social media. This is the age of learning, which means most of these individuals using social media are students. 

This tells us that more than 90% of students use social media in some form. Furthermore, the report also mentions that overuse of social media has been known to cause a lack of sleep among these students. 

This Pew Research Report suggests that most teens (aged 13-17) in the Us use TikTok as their favorite Social Media Platform.  Moreover, a growing number of teens have been using one or more Social Media platforms like Snapchat or Instagram since their debut some years ago. 

This shows that as social media platforms increase, more teens are using social media. And since most teens go to school, they become addicted to social media. 

All these reports show us that the landscape of social media use among young individuals and students is rapidly changing.  

And this change is making more and more teens addicted to social media. Many young people miss out on something if they do not use social media. This is not a good development, as this gives an incentive for more teens and students to join in and get addicted. This addiction has severe consequences. 

How Social Media Addiction Harms Students

The overuse of social media has become a global problem, with addiction rates rising yearly. And while social media addiction can have negative consequences for people of all ages, it is especially harmful to students.

Addiction to social media can cause effects ranging from small arguments with friends to something severe as drug use, damage to career, anxiety, and depression. Some of the adverse effects of social media addiction on students are explained in detail. 

1. Addiction To Social Media Causes Poor Grades

Studies have shown that students who are addicted to social media are more likely to have lower grades. This is because they often spend more time on social media than they do on their schoolwork. 

This can be more apparent when exams are coming, and students are using their time on social media rather than preparing. One check and you can find an A-grade student drastically lowering their marks. 

2. Social Media Addiction Can Cause Real-Life Social Isolation

Addiction to social media can also lead to social isolation, as students may prefer to interact with people online rather than in person. 

This will cause students to lack the ability to interact openly with others in the future; moreover, awkward social interactions, anxiety about meeting new people, speech impairment, etc., can also be linked to overuse of social media. 

3. Social Media Addiction Can Cause Bad Physical Health

When people are using social media, they are staying still. This lack of any physical exercise means that their physical health will deteriorate. 

As addicts are inclined to use social media most of the day, their physical health will become as bad as it can be. Hence, students who want to go into sports becoming social media addicts is a no-go. 

4. Addiction To Social Media Causes Mental Health Issues

And finally, social media addiction can cause mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Mental health problems like lack of sleep are common for social media addicts. 

Lack of sleep for successive days will cause instant outbursts of anger and other emotional issues. These emotional issues pile up over the years and cause problems like anxiety and depression. 

Productivity Hacks For Social Media Addict Students

Most college students are constantly trying to catch up on work. And with the never-ending scroll of social media, it’s no wonder why. A recent study found that the average person spends nearly two hours daily on social media. That’s a lot of time that could be spent on homework, studying or other activities.

If you are a student who is addicted to social media, it is important to seek help. Many resources are available to help you overcome your addiction and get back on track. To this end, here are some productivity hacks you can try as a student to eliminate social media addiction. 

1. Turn off notifications

The first thing to do is to turn off all social media app notifications. It is these notifications that keep distracting you whenever something important is going on. Once you turn off notifications from apps like Instagram and Messenger, many unrelated social media activities are stopped before they even begin. 

More importantly, as students, it is important to turn off these distracting notifications during classes, exam preparations, etc.

Turning off notifications is also helpful because you will not worry about what someone might be commenting on your post. This will give one peace of mind and keep him focused on important activities. 

2. Set a time limit for using electronic devices

Make rules like only using smartphones after 10 PM and or not using any smartphones after 11 PM. These rules can be difficult to keep. However, if properly followed, they can be life-changing. 

The rules help students keep being disciplined. Moreover, the rules will follow individuals all their life. This helps them keep their time on productive stuff rather than social media.  So, students need to make sure that making strict electronic rules and following them is a good way to rid of social media addiction. 

3. Engage in more real-life social interactions

Social media interactions cannot match meeting people in real life. So, students need to spend more time meeting real people rather than overusing their social media. 

Real-life meetings become more meaningful as they get etched into memory for longer. Moreover, connecting people in reality will make someone see the world for what it is, not an online version. 

So, instead of using social media all day, hang out with friends, play neighborhood games, and meet new people to gain a different perspective on life. This will immensely help get rid of social media addiction among students. 

4. Participate in physical exercises

Physical exercise, like running, cycling, swimming, and playing outdoor games, not only help boost your health but also help get rid of social media addictions. 

For young people, playing games outdoors is a leisure that increases their metabolism, keeps them healthy, and improves their mental health. Social media addict teens can improve their lives drastically by participating in physical activities. 

5. Keep yourself productive by doing something else

You can do something productive to keep yourself busy when you are not using social media. Productive things like DIY stuff, cleaning out the house, gardening, etc., can keep you busy and not be addicted to social media all the time. 

These productive things will improve your mind while keeping them fresh.  Moreover, you are not likely to go back into being an addict after you start engaging yourself with something productive over the years.

6. Block all social media accounts

If you still are not satisfied with doing all the above-listed activities and still feel that, as a student, you still are not rid of your addiction, then the best option would be to block all your social media accounts. 

You can try and deactivate your accounts and then delete the social media apps from your smartphones so that you will not return to them. 

Blocking social media seems like an extreme choice, but sometimes that is needed to eliminate social media addiction. 

7. Try therapy and meditation for rehabilitation and regain focus.

When even blocking your social media addiction does not work, and you still need to return to social media, your addiction is critical. In such cases, therapy sessions or professional help might be the best way to work things out. 

Alongside therapy, meditation and breathing classes can also help in boosting your morale, get rid of anxiety or depression, and improve your mood. 

If the addiction is severe, these rehabilitation techniques and professional help are the best course of action to get your studies, career, and life back on track.  

What Can Parents Do to Help Their Social Media Addict Children?

While young adults and teens may understand social media addiction and its consequences by themselves, the same is not the case for children. 

Kids nowadays start using social media from a very young age.  And many of these kids might get addicted to social media. So, it becomes the job of a parent or guardian to keep their kids from getting addicted to social media. 

Here is what parents can do to keep their kids not get addicted to social media or reduce its effects on already addicted children. 

1. Talk to kids about the dangers of social media

Tell your kids about scams, frauds, bullying, etc., that happens on social media. Show them reports and educate them on the proper use of social media in their day-to-day lives. 

2. Use parental control and spying apps to figure out what kids are doing

.Monitor everything your kid is doing on his/her smartphone. Use mobile spying apps like MobileSpy to remotely and stealthy view their smartphone activities remotely and stealthy. You can promptly take action if you think your child uses too much social media. 

3. Set ground rules on when and where kids can use their smartphones

Make house rules on smartphone usage, like not smartphones during supper, no smartphones after 9 PM, etc. 

These rules help keep your kids in control and teach them discipline and punctuality early on in their lives. 

4. Keep the kids entertained with real-life activities

Play with your kids. Spend time with them. Make sure they do not feel lonely. When kids feel lonely and sense that their parents do not care about them, there is a high chance that they become addicted to social media. Hence, accompany them in real-life physical activities to break their social media addiction. 

5. Make sure to check their progress in studies and the influence of social media on their daily life

If your bright kid starts getting lower grades, social media might affect his/her studies. So, keep a close watch on your children’s studies and ensure that there is no negative influence of social media on them. 

Conclusion

There’s no denying that social media has become integral to our lives. It’s no secret that social media can be a huge time suck. As a student, If you’re trying to be productive, the last thing you need is to scroll through your social media feeds for hours.

Getting addicted to social media is not uncommon among students, children, or even old people. However, with proper care alongside the productivity hacks mentioned above, we believe that the addiction can be cured and its effects are kept to a minimum. 

While there are no easy solutions, students must be mindful of their social media use and set limits for themselves. Parents and teachers can help by monitoring students’ social media use and providing guidance on healthy use.