Yes, we’re talking about time spent on Facebook today! How much time have you spent on social media today?

In yesterday’s blog post we talked about the time we spend vegging out in front of the TV or computer and how that time slips away from us. Today, I want to tackle another big time sucker– social media. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an amazing tool, but it can also be quite distracting. It doesn’t matter if it’s Facebook, Pinterest, Tumbler, Instagram, or your social media platform of choice.

The biggest problem with social media is that it’s everywhere. We check in from our computers, tablet, and of course the ever-present smartphone. We get alerts, we check in when we’re bored, or have a couple of minutes to kill. Before we know it, thirty minutes or more have gone by that we’re not getting back. Check out here what happened when I gave up my smartphone for a whole year.

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How Much Time Are You Spending On Facebook

How to Stop Spending Too Much Time On Facebook

Here’s an eye-opening exercise for you. Carry a pen and paper around with you, get a click counter or an app on your phone and start keeping track of how many times you access social media per day. Include any and all devices you use and add to the running total even when you’re just looking at it “for a second”. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be a bit shocked at how high that number actually is.

This is one distraction that isn’t usually caught by the time log we talked about a few days ago since the social media interactions are so quick and frequent. Trust me though, no matter how briefly you access each platform, it all starts to add up and distracts you from other things.

As a blogger, I love social media and I won’t lie. I love our Facebook and Instagram communities, but if I don’t time myself on social media, I will easily get carried away and it will eat up all my time. So here is what I do, even though social media is part of my work, I deleted all social media from my smartphone and I don’t turn on my computer until homeschool is done for the day. Plus I scheduled my social media time so I can keep track of how much time I spend on it.

How Facebook Can Make Us Miss The Best Moments In Life

How often do you miss part of a conversation or a fun moment with your kids because you were busy commenting on a Facebook post, retweeting something, or pinning a fun craft idea that you likely won’t get around to trying? Is it worth missing all those important little moments in life? And think about what you would have time and mental energy to do if you weren’t constantly distracted by social media?

Don't miss life's most precious moments because you're looking down on your phone.scrolling down on Facebook instead.

The goal is to live more intentionally and do things with purpose. We don’t want to let social media posts distract us from that goal. I’m not saying that there isn’t a time to use social media, far from it. They are a wonderful tool and a great way to connect with people. But they are also dangerously addictive. Don’t believe me?

Here’s another exercise for you. Commit to not using social media at all for 48 hours. Turn off or ignore the alerts on your phone and don’t allow yourself to go to the sites on your computer. How does that feel? Do you miss it? Does it make you nervous or anxious?

It’s time to take control over social media instead of letting it control us. What can you change starting today to make that happen? Let me know down in the comments!


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Books I Recommend About Finding Your Purpose on Amazon

Life on Purpose: How Living for What Matters Most Changes EverythingLife on Purpose: How Living for What Matters Most Changes EverythingThe Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?Life Purpose Boot Camp: The 8-Week Breakthrough Plan for Creating a Meaningful LifeLife Purpose Boot Camp: The 8-Week Breakthrough Plan for Creating a Meaningful LifeWhat On Earth Am I Here For? Study Guide (The Purpose Driven Life)What On Earth Am I Here For? Study Guide (The Purpose Driven Life)Living Life on Purpose: Discovering God's Best for Your LifeLiving Life on Purpose: Discovering God’s Best for Your LifeThe Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?Daily Inspiration for the Purpose Driven Life: Scriptures and Reflections from the 40 Days of PurposeDaily Inspiration for the Purpose Driven Life: Scriptures and Reflections from the 40 Days of Purpose