I Hated Social Media, So I Made It Fun Again (8 moves)
As a musician, blogger and digital creator, using social media is sort of important. But there’s a problem – the more I care or lose focus, the more I hate social media.
It can quickly turn into toxic doom scrolls of unhealthy comparisons filled with clickbait-y rabbit holes that’ll have you believing everything is a dumpster fire and you’re not hustling enough.
Let’s all take a breath.
Because I hate this type of social media. But it’s not all like that (or at least, it doesn't need to be).
So this is how I’m making things fun again.
Let’s get to it!
Table of Contents Show
Why Social Media Sucks (sometimes)
If you find yourself hating social media, you’re not alone. There’s plenty of reasons for stink-eyeing it.
But here are some top reasons why social media sometimes sucks:
Following negative accounts
Engaging with negative comments
Unrealistic expectations or timelines for growth
Hoping to find some type of artistic validation
Obsessing over metrics and engagement
Using social media too much (and not living real life enough)
Users with disingenuous, hurtful or self-serving engagement
Its negative impact on mental health and wellbeing
8 Ways I’m Making Social Media Fun Again
Whether you’re a creator/artist or not, the tips below should help you make social media fun again.
At least, these are the things that work for me.
1. Curate A Better Feed
The algorithm gives you content based on what you watch and engage with. Put another way:
You’re in control.
So why not curate an absolutely epic feed?
For me, this means no news, negativity or stuff that makes me feel like sh*t or stressed.
Good stuff, right? I think so.
So to start, simply stop clicking on, watching or engaging with videos that make you hate social media or cause anger and stress.
Start seeking out and watching better, more inspiring stuff.
It does exist! Like, there’s seriously a lot of great content out there.
To get clarity, it can help to consider your values and interests and then create a content goal for yourself. What’s the perfect type of content you’d love to see in your feed?
Search for videos and creators who align with your vibe and then start watching and engaging with this new content more.
Eventually, the algorithm will catch up and create new recommendations for you.
You’re curating a custom feed for yourself. You are in control.
2. Bye, Metrics
This is my favorite move (especially if you’re a creator).
Don’t have goals for social media metrics.
Don’t care about or feel the need for social media growth. Put your “success” metrics somewhere else.
Hearts and praise feel good. But it’s a law of diminishing returns and leads to stress.
But, I get it too.
I mean, you pour your heart and soul into something, spending hours to create the perfect piece of content, only to have it flop and go unnoticed. It sucks!
But detaching from metrics helps a lot.
So my social media goals are authenticity, creativity and fun.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with social media growth. But not caring about it is way more cathartic and fun. This helps me not hate social media, so I can actually take advantage of its benefits.
So if not for growth and numbers, what’s social media for then (as a creator)?
Onward to the next tip.
3. It’s A Canvas for Creative Play
While we’re saying goodbye to metrics, let’s welcome creativity and play.
Because that’s its true purpose (well, one of its core functions at least).
Social media is a tool for creative play.
Whether you’re a content creator or you just want to stay in touch with friends and family, using it as a creative outlet means you’ll enjoy it and actually become stronger using it.
My favorite thing to do is to have some artistic purpose. For example, your interests, goals and passions can be turned into creative projects. You just need to choose the artistic medium that best suits you (photography, video, text-based posts, etc.).
This is also a great way to build a personal creative brand.
Social media is a creative act. So go tell your story and be more like an artist.
Recommended: How to Be More Creative
4. Build A Tight Knit Community
Besides creativity, social media’s other core purpose is to connect with people.
This whole thing started as a way for friends to hang out online and stay in touch (I think).
In its early early days, there were no agendas, sales pitches or obsessions for engagement and likes.
So another way I stopped hating social media so much is by getting back to this place and focusing on the fun community aspect.
This means building a tight knit community online (with family or friends or with new people who share the same passions).
It also means celebrating and being totally stoked on others’ success and pursuits (not being jealous).
Social media can be an awesome way to connect, network and build an epic community of like-minded people.
5. Stop Caring
This requires a mindset shift – but stop caring so much.
Stop caring if you’re not being polite enough, or authentic enough, or if you’re posting at the right time with the right messaging and the right video template.
Stop caring if no one likes your post or if you lose followers.
And stop getting worked up every time someone does or says something stupid. Whether it’s politics or an old friend going on a strange rant, just stop caring so much. You can’t put out every single fire.
So I’ve found the best way to fight against all the sh*t is to just be more carefree and chill.
Maybe this feels like a cop out – like you’re being lazy, naive or too cavalier – but staying carefree is actually a powerful act of spreading positivity.
I mean, support is amazing (so you know, don’t stop the love or some well-placed activism), but if something is causing you stress, then step away. I’d rather add to the good sh*t than give my energy to the negative.
And when enough people carry a more chill vibe, eventually the whole collective changes. This is the 100th monkey effect.
So stop caring so much and just be happier – it can change the world.
Recommended: How to Be More Chill
6. Handle Trolls With Compassion
This one comes straight out of Gary Vee’s playbook.
But the best way to handle angry, ugly and uncalled-for comments is with compassion. It’s liberating and puts you in a higher frequency.
A big issue with social media is trolling, cyberbullying and other similar things.
So rather than trying to prevent or change the people doing those things (which is all well and good too), having compassion for them is a solid individual action to take.
It puts you in control and makes the negativity much easier to process and let go.
Because if you think about it, someone who’s taking the time to make someone else feel bad must not be in the happiest place.
So, I try to just have compassion.
7. Go Where You Can Be Most Authentic
Being more authentic leads to more happiness and more creativity.
Every social media platform is different. Some will resonate with you more than others.
For example, if you love reading and writing, then maybe X or social blogging is better for you. But if you prefer long-form video and podcasts, then maybe YouTube is best.
Choosing the right platform will set you up for success with making social media fun again. This is especially true if you’re a content creator.
So which platforms let you express yourself most authentically? Start there.
Recommended: Blog vs. Vlog vs. Social Media (+ how to choose)
8. Stop the Doom Scrolls
Doom scrolling is when you get lost in your social media feed, scrolling and losing track of time.
It’s time wasted and can lead to unhealthy comparisons and negative thought cycles.
So let’s nip this one in the bud.
Here are a few ways to stop the doom scrolls:
Use a screen time limiting app
Turn on black and white mode
Follow better accounts (like bite-sized learning apps or more inspiring stuff)
Get a second phone without internet (only wifi) to use social media
Take regular social media detoxes
Avoid using it first thing when you wake up
Schedule “social media time” and only use your apps during these times
Later ✌️
I used to love social media. Then I hated social media.
Now, I like it again.
My best moves have been caring less, using it as a creative resource, building a tight-knit community and curating a better feed on my homepages.
Social media can get negative pretty quickly, but luckily, we have control.
So start watching better stuff and get more creative – rinse and repeat until you reach a new status quo.
Want More? Okay. Here’s More.
