20 Healthy Social Media Habits to Embrace for a Better Relationship with it

In January, my goal was to understand people's relationships with social media better. Mostly for selfish reasons, I delved into the topic of social media, psychology, and mental health. I wanted to see if this would ultimately make me a more effective social media marketer.

Ultimately, I uncovered a list of ways you and I can strengthen the relationship we have with technology. Once cited as something only "lazy parents" use to babysit their children, social media and technology use during coronavirus skyrocketed.

And one thing became clear: many of us appreciate technology and social networks for what they are – we simply don't have a healthy relationship with it.

That can change.

Here are 20 habits I've uncovered so far that can help you create a healthy relationship with social media use:

1. Know that many children (though they're not supposed to until 13, in many cases) have social media accounts. They've probably seen some things inappropriate for their age groups. Understand what a "Finsta" is and talk with your children about social media use.

2. Demand authenticity from the accounts you follow and know that it's okay to question what you see.

3. Sometimes a technology detox is in order. It's okay to step away.

4. Clean out your lists of friends and accounts you follow. Get rid of anything that makes you feel bad about yourself.

5. Set a timer and give yourself that amount of time to scroll.

6. Whatever your social media habit goals are, keep at it. It takes a while to form healthy habits.

7. Slow down. Don't be so quick to share or RT unless the information you're sharing is accurate.

8. Be careful who or what you let influence you.

9. Ask yourself if it's worth posting before you post.

10. Look like yourself in your photos. Photoshop is a garnish. Not the entree.

11. Follow people who post about healthy eating. It will inspire you to begin eating healthy foods. Just the opposite is also true.

12. Ask, "Would I say this in real life?" before you post.

13. Understand how influencers use "angles" and photo tricks to make their bodies look a certain way.

14. Be skeptical when it comes to anything political served on your news feed.

15. Share pet photos. Positively-charged content is good for your mental health.

16. Join an online community.

17. While social distancing, relax screentime limits for your children.

18. Try a popular social media trend or challenge (but not one at the expense of others).

19. Cite your sources.

20. No "quarantine bragging."

As we continue to leverage technology for things we might never have before, we must continue to evolve our relationship with social media. We have to police and parent ourselves, in many cases, because no regulation is on the horizon anytime soon.

What habits or advice would you add to this list? Have you uncovered ways in which you can have a healthy relationship with social media?