When we realize the problems that we have with social media and wasting time online, we can refine our internet usage, till nothing but positive remains. The internet isn’t all bad, there are also many great tools online and in the form of apps, that can help us through our daily lives, or accomplish bigger goals. In the process of refining our internet usage, we can use the web, apps, and social media as a tool to improve our own lives.

We should not focus on ending internet use, like a chemical addiction, but rather it’s better to change the look at how we it is used instead. We need to look at the internet and all of its accessories, as more than a tool, and not a means of entertainment. In doing this, the internet becomes what we always thought it intended to be, a piece of technology made to make our live easier and more enjoyable, yet most of us only us the internet as a sort of useless hamster wheel, only filled with mindless distractions, in the form of shallow entertainment.

The first thing we need to do, in order to fix the problem of useless internet usage, is spend some time to access the issue, and look at how we use our electronic devices. We can go into the settings on our phones and computers, and view reports on how different apps and websites are used. Most people find that they will spend around five to six hours a day on their screen. This might sound scary, but you also need to remember that not all screen time is time wasted. Make sure to record these number of devices use to either mentally or on a piece of paper, by asking yourself a few questions. Ask yourself what websites/applications actually make your life better? Which ones honestly solve a problem, instead of just wasting time. It is true that some apps and websites are needed for your life, so make a list of the ones that you couldn’t be a student or have a career without. Most people are slow to admit that there are things that they use on their phone that make their lives worse. Some apps might be a simple waste of time, while others may have direct negative results on our mental health. After we do this, it becomes easier to delete the ones that are unneeded.

This is called digital minimizing. Just take some time looking at your home screen or go scrolling through your apps, and ask yourself which one you really need? You can try deleting as many as you can in one sitting, or if that is too much, you can try deleting one a day, until you are satisfied. Also spend some time to organize the layout and accessibility of the ones you use the most, compared to secondary.

Now look at your home screen. Realize that this is the best place to keep the app you use the most. While that might be obvious, many people don’t take time to organize this, like they would do to physical things. Optimize your home screen by making sure you have your most used apps there, and nothing else. Don’t waste this digital real estate on nonsense, or worse yet, a distraction. Instead organize it, in a way that saves you time, when using your phone.

Another important thing to manage is your notification settings, especially since social media is made to divert your attention, and push notification is one of their methods for distraction. However, there are ways to fix this, either in app setting, or in the phone settings. The best thing to do is turn off all useless social media notifications. You still may need some push notification to keep on if the apps are related to your field of work, or for things that are important.

Also don’t be afraid to hit the unfollow or block button on distracting accounts.