So we hear people always talking about how toxic social media is, but what we fail to realize is that it may not be the social media platform that's toxic. Rather, the toxicity of social media may stem from the people we follow. Simply browsing through social media never hurt anybody, that is until you come across the page of the person you always compare yourself to, the person you really don't care for but for some reason will not unfollow, or the people who bring nothing but negative energy to your feed. What's the answer? Well, it's pretty simple: a social media cleanse! Hitting the unfollow button may be the best thing you've ever done and here are a few reasons why.
1. You will find yourself being much more positive about yourself and your life
For a lot of people, comparison is the root of a negative mindset. I'm sure everyone is guilty of scrolling through someone else's page either wishing they looked like them or wishing they lived their life. Removing those people from your social media will eliminate the comparisons and you'll find yourself being more positive about your own life.
2. You will actually spend less time on social media
Fewer people to look at, less time spent lost in social media. Think about how many times you were scrolling through social media, clicked on someone else's page, then clicked on the person they tagged, then clicked on a different person they tagged and then you're like four people deep into someone else's life and the worst part is, you have no idea who any of those people even are. Social media can be a dark hole that's hard to escape from, so delete the people that don't matter so you can focus on your own life and the people you actually know, in real life.
3. You will feel so refreshed... almost like a new start
Why follow the people you don't like anyway? When you think about it, it seems kind of dumb to want to follow someone you don't even like, but we all do it. Whether you follow them because part of you wants to know what they're doing with their life or you're following them on some sort of "I went to high school with you so I should follow you" kind of obligation, it doesn't matter. Unfollow them. I bet a few days later, you won't even notice their absence on your timeline/feed.
4. You will grow more as a person
Social media can be a very positive thing, that is, if you use it in a positive way. Removing people from your social media will help your personal growth because you can focus on the people that make you happy, motivated, and inspired. Not to mention, hitting that unfollow button is personal growth in itself! We all know how hard taking that step can be, but it's totally worth it!
5. You will feel more free to post what you want
Just because you unfollow them, doesn't mean they unfollowed you as well, but it will still make you feel freer to use your social media pages how you want to. Those people you unfollowed won't be relevant to you anymore. You won't be posting things solely to try and gain someone's attention or to try and impress someone. Even if that person still sees your posts, you won't be seeing theirs, so you can regain control of your own life and what you want to display on your social media pages. Just simply seeing certain people on your feed can trigger you to post something out of spite, post something to try and make your Instagram look like theirs, or post something just so that one person can see it. Instead, post what you want, when you want, without a care in the world who sees it.
Social media is a great way to express ourselves and our lives, while it simultaneously provides a creative platform to do so on. So why don't we use it for all the potential it has instead of wasting our time looking at things we don't care about, posted by people we don't care about? Follow the people that make you happy and unfollow the people that don't. I bet it'll be the best decision you make.
