*Thank you to Dominee for allowing us to share this piece. You can see more of her writing here and her website here.*
I love social media. It’s one of my favourite things. There are so many fun groups, interesting people, and connections that I wouldn’t be able to find otherwise. It has allowed me to live my dream of being an artist and a writer while allowing me to provide for my family. Maybe I should write a poem called ‘Ode to the Internet by Socially Anxious Creator.’
But as a creator and also a user of social media, it can cause burnout. Most of us are connected almost all day, every day. As an introvert, I’m very familiar with introvert hangovers or social burnout. Introverts recharge by spending time alone so when we’ve got a lot of social obligations, it can be draining physically and emotionally. I used to have a weekly get-together with my friends and I would be absolutely useless for the next two days.
I’ve noticed that with social media, I experience the same thing just on a much slower basis so it’s also harder to see.
I’ve been noticing a pattern where I become cranky and annoyed with social media. I start limiting my time. Then I come back feeling better. And a few weeks ago, I was like “Ohhhh, this feels familiar.”
Online social burnout happens in the same way.
Social fatigue or social burnout happens when you’ve socialised to the point that your social battery is completely drained. Socialising then causes annoyance, anxiety, irritation, exhaustion, or over-stimulation. It can also happen in online spaces. It’s the same premise.
So if you find yourself scrolling on social media and that annoyance is just creeping in – it might be worth seeing if limiting your time on social media helps you feel better. Here are my suggestions!
- Take a break from, or snooze, any groups that you are part of.
- Replace social media time with an offline hobby.
- Set a specific time of day to respond to messages or emails.
- Make time for self-care and make sure that you’re taking care of yourself in other areas of life as well.
-Dominee
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