Finding Balance in a Social Media-Driven World

How can we become more productive while still making time for what we love? And, perhaps more importantly, how can we throw in a bit of happiness and calmness too? Taylor Swift seems to have a pretty straightforward solution, although it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. She’s opted to keep social media apps off her smartphone. In a recent chat on Hits Radio in the UK, she shared her thoughts on using—or not using—social media.

I get it; I really do. I can almost hear the protests from my friends and family already. Many people feel lost without their regular doses of scrolling through Facebook or TikTok. So, adopting Swift’s approach could seem a bit daunting—maybe even impossible. But, what if you set some boundaries around your social media habits? For example, you might limit usage to when you’re on the exercise bike. It could yield some of the same benefits. Plus, it’s becoming increasingly clear that cutting back on social media can be good for your emotional well-being.

Research is on Swift’s Side

Plenty of studies back up Swift’s claims—many have found that reducing social media use often leads to greater happiness and improved mental health. In one study, participants who went a week without social media reported feeling better overall, with less depression and anxiety compared to a group that continued their usual social media habits. It turns out, we often find ourselves comparing our lives to the curated versions our peers present online, which can leave us feeling inadequate. Additionally, given the current climate of political division, we might also find ourselves getting unnecessarily worked up by what we read in our feeds.

As Swift put it, “Anything you put in your brain, it’s gonna, like, internalize. I have a real priority on being peaceful and happy. I’m not going to have a messy, dramatic feeling about something that doesn’t actually matter and isn’t real.” She emphasizes the importance of recognizing the world we live in, where getting attention is often monetized, leading us to question what really deserves our energy.

Time Could Be on Your Side

Swift also realized something else that research supports: by stepping back from social media, people can reclaim a significant amount of time. This newfound time can be reinvested in relationships or hobbies. “I don’t have the apps on my phone, or else… it’s really effective, right?” she shared. “They know what I want to see. I’d rather use those hours planning something fun for the fans or baking. I have a lot of hobbies, and I didn’t really have as many when I spent a lot of time scrolling.”

That may be the strongest argument for limiting your social media engagement. Much of it is designed to keep you endlessly scrolling, tapping into that temptation to just check one more thing. Before you know it, an hour has disappeared, or even more. So it makes sense that cutting back can open up large chunks of time for things that really matter to you.

There’s a group of readers who receive daily texts from me that include self-care challenges or motivational tips. We often end up in discussions about these topics. Many of them are entrepreneurs or business leaders, and they get that time is a precious resource—one that should be spent on what really matters. So, maybe it’s worth considering giving this social media limitation a try.