How to Stop Wasting Time on Social Media

Wasting time on social media is becoming more common than most people think.

According to the University of Maine, the average person spends 2h and 24 minutes on social media every day.

That’s 876 hours per year. That’s almost 37 full days.

When you think about 2 hours a day, it may not seem much, but 37 days, when you’re building something, is a real number.

Think about it this way: to be reasonably competent at a certain skill, you’ll need about 20 hours.

If you’re building a business, a new skill, a blog, or even a new language, those 2 hours a day can change your progress completely.

And the time you use is either your biggest asset or your biggest enemy.

I’m not saying that you should cut social media off completely, but you shouldn’t be scrolling for 2 or more hours a day just procrastinating.

Here’s how to take it back.

Why Social Media Is Designed to Waste Your Time

Have you ever noticed that when you talk about something, suddenly it appears on your feed?

That’s because the algorithm knows you’re engaged with that, and it’s built to keep you scrolling.

The content you see the most will keep appearing until you decide to stop watching it.

I love seeing funny videos, but it came to a point where no matter which social media I was using, I was always seeing them on my feed.

That’s when I decided to quit. I would spend more than 2 hours a day on social media, scrolling, saving videos, and sending them to my friends.

But after some time, I realized that most of my free time was being spent on scrolling.

At the end of the day, I didn’t do anything productive and started to feel bad.

Every like, comment, and share you make is dopamine hitting you, and it’s designed to bring you back each time.

I want you to realize that you may think you’re using social media, but it’s the opposite.

Social media is using you. And it’s winning.

If you’re trying to build something, you shouldn’t be on it on every opportunity you have.

Those who are building the platforms aren’t scrolling for hours, but they’re developing more ideas to make you do that.

The Real Cost Of Wasting Time on Social Media

Social media has more costs than you realize. And most people think it’s just time.

But that’s not true.

Decreasing Your Focus and Mental Energy

Even though you’re wasting time, your mental energy and focus are decreasing every time you log in.

You’re starting to only be able to see short-form videos, reels, TikToks, and over time, it will kill your focus.

Have you ever noticed that most people can’t watch a movie or a lecture for 2 hours without talking to someone, or picking up their phone?

It could be the most entertaining, fun, and informative video or lecture ever.

But they simply can’t.

Not because they don’t care, or because they don’t want to be there.

The reason is that they can’t sit down for 1 or 2 hours without moving or talking. Just paying attention.

Comparing Yourself to Others

If you enjoy reading my blog, then you must also be interested in business, self-growth, and mindset shift.

And when you’re scrolling through social media, if you are in this niche, you probably keep seeing people where you want to be.

And at the beginning, it’s actually good to see that.

It will get you motivated to work on your dreams.

And in the long run, it’s the worst thing you can do.

Because when you’re starting, results won’t come. You’ll have to work harder every day before you actually see anything.

And some people still won’t see.

I always say that you shouldn’t compare your progress to anyone, because in the end, we’re all different.

Some start the run in the middle, while you’re still learning.

It Delays Your Work

When you’re procrastinating on social media, you aren’t doing the work you should be doing to improve.

Whether it’s making content, ads, posts, or even calling and emailing leads and clients.

Social media makes you relax and avoid what needs to be done, no matter the effort or disappointment.

Learn how to manage your time, so you can still enjoy your time on what you prefer.

On the other hand, remember to set clear goals. If you want to achieve anything, you need to have it in your hands and move in a way that your assignments are done every day.

Signs You’re Wasting Too Much Time

Most people don’t realize how much time they’re actually spending on their feeds.

You’re Opening Your Phone Without a Reason

Suddenly, you’re bored, taking a break, and even though you don’t have a reason, you go into your phone and eventually land on it again.

It’s not intentional, it has become a routine that, no matter the situation, you’ll eventually pick it up.

I keep seeing people picking up their phones when going across a group of people.

They don’t have a reason, but they still do it. Just to avoid the embarrassment of “nothing”.

You Say You’ll Scroll for 5 Minutes, And 45 Minutes Pass

Almost everyone has gone through that.

You say you’re taking a 5-minute break, but in the end, it’s been 45 minutes, and you’ll still be there.

It still happens to me. Sometimes I say I’ll just take a quick break before continuing my writing, but I spent a lot more time procrastinating before I realized.

That’s because you’re being entertained by the content shown.

And if you ever noticed, most times the content is similar, just to make you keep watching.

When you finish one video, you have another one related. Maybe a part two, and then there’s a third.

You Use It to Avoid Real Work

If you’re using social media because you have a hard assignment that will take some of your time, then it’s also a sign that you’re wasting too much time.

You prefer to get fast dopamine hits. When you do that, you are letting your brain get used to it.

You keep avoiding what needs to be done.

You Can’t Sit With Boredom for 5 Minutes

Like I was saying earlier, most people can’t stay still for some time without doing anything.

Sit down and try to stay quiet for 5 minutes.

You’ll end up realizing that a single minute looks like an hour.

You’ll start stretching, looking everywhere, just seeking a reason to be entertained.

How to Stop Wasting Time on Social Media

Delete The Apps From Your Phone

I’m not saying that you should delete it forever. Don’t do that.

By doing that, you’ll eventually install it again, and won’t make any progress.

Instead, do this.

During work hours, delete them. By doing that, you’ll be forced to work for that specific time.

After that, you can still download it again, but by doing that during work hours, you’ll have more focus, energy, and motivation.

In your break time, don’t search for those apps, take a walk, drink some water, talk to someone outside.

Use Tools to Fight the Algorithm

Sometimes willpower isn’t enough because social media is designed to addict you.

If you’re struggling, use technology to fight technology.

There are several apps you can use, but personally, these are the ones that worked.

Forest: It grows a virtual tree while you focus. If you leave the app to check social media, your tree dies. It’s a simple way to gamify your focus.

Opal: You can set a schedule so you literally cannot open Instagram or TikTok during your work hours.

Both are free to start. I don’t get a commission for recommending these; I just mention them because they actually solve the problem.

Set Specific Times to Check

Instead of using your social media every minute you can get, try setting specific times to check it.

After your morning routine, scroll through your social media, but no more than 20 or 30 minutes.

By the time you finish your biggest assignment for the day, you’ll be free to look at it again.

But keep in mind that 20 or 30 minutes is the maximum time, don’t let it become an hour.

Turn Off Notifications

On a normal day, I can get more than 30 emails, whether it’s clothing brands, programs, social media, messages, or even events.

90% of those emails aren’t important, and neither are urgents.

If you keep watching your phone for every notification you get, you’ll realize that you’re finding a way to get to your phone.

You unlock your phone, see that the notification isn’t important, and suddenly you’re scrolling on social media, just because you’re already on your phone, so you think: Why not?

Track Your Screen Time

It doesn’t matter if you’re using an iPhone or an Android, both have daily screen time.

There were times when I was using my phone for 8 to 10 hours. That’s more than half a day when you remove sleep time.

Of course, if you’re working, you’ll eventually have a day where you’re spending a lot more time.

Or if you’re using GPS, but most of the time, it’s excessive, and it only represents how much you’re affected by your phone.

Set limits and stick to them. If you’re using your phone more than 2 or 3 hours outside of your work, then you have a problem.

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How to Use Social Media Productively

Instead of using your social media in an entertainment way, use it as a tool.

Start posting your work and documenting your journey.

Learn how to start a personal brand, because if you’re building your business, Neil Patel says that his personal brand generated him more than $10 million.

Engage Intentionally

Especially on LinkedIn, you can and should be commenting on posts in your niche.

Starting to connect with people who are in the same place that you are.

Learn from those who are ahead of you, ask them questions, and explore other ways of improving.

For example, if you’re building a SaaS, LinkedIn and Reddit can help you make progress faster and actually get your first client from there.

Post insights and tips. The most important aspect of building a community is providing value.

After that, clients will come.

I always say that you don’t need 50 people, you just need one.

Then you can scale it to others. If you manage to get a client, then you can always get more.

The Mindset Shift

I hear people say that social media is the problem and you should erase it, but they’re wrong.

Social media isn’t the problem, mindless use is.

Learning how to use social media productively is the best way to succeed.

Instead of consuming content that others made, you should be creating for others to see.

Those you admire online aren’t consuming, they’re creating.

It doesn’t matter if you love engaging with a creator.

In the end, what matters is what you do, not what you see.

I want you to realize that every hour you spend scrolling on your social media is an hour that should be spent on learning.

There’s someone else out there learning from social media, creating their own content, and actually improving gradually, while you’re procrastinating.