 Social media is everywhere. It’s in our pockets, on our laptops, and even woven into our conversations. While it can be a great way to stay connected and informed, I’ve noticed more than ever how negative it can be. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that we’re absorbing that negativity, whether we realise it or not. Over time, I’ve made small changes to how I use social media, and now, I feel like I have a much healthier balance.
One of the biggest changes I’ve made is not checking my phone for the first hour after waking up. It might sound like a small thing, but it makes a huge difference. Instead of diving straight into messages, news, and social media, I start my day with a pint of iced water and a coffee. I’ll check my emails on my MacBook, but other than that, I avoid screens for the first hour. I’ve found that doing this helps me to prioritise what actually needs to be done in the morning, rather than getting distracted by endless scrolling. When I do check my phone, it’s only to see if anyone has tried to contact me. Social media only comes into play once I’ve achieved everything I want to for the day. That includes self-care, my home workouts, and preparing my meals. Once all of that is done, then – and only then – do I allow myself to check social media. Approaching it this way has made a huge difference. I no longer feel like I’m wasting hours on my phone when there are better things I could be doing. The more I step back from social media, the more I notice how much negativity it carries. Whether it’s people complaining, bad news constantly circulating, or just the general pressure that comes with being online, it’s easy to take it all in without even realising it. While I still use social media, I’ve become more mindful of when and how I do it, making sure it doesn’t take priority over real life. At the end of the day, social media is just a tool – how we use it is up to us. By setting boundaries and focusing on what really matters, I’ve found a way to keep it in its place without letting it take over my life.  Following on from yesterday's post about American-Tok being overly negative and not wanting to see it anymore, I’ve found a workaround to limit the amount of American content appearing on your For You Page.
While TikTok doesn’t yet offer a built-in feature to block entire regions or countries, this simple trick can at least help improve your FYP experience. To minimise American content, go to Settings and Privacy > select Content Preferences > tap Filter Keywords. In the Keywords Menu, add terms such as America or American. Under Filter From, select For You. Once these words are blocked, TikTok will no longer show you videos containing them. This includes titles, descriptions, hashtags, and stickers, meaning a noticeable reduction in unwanted content. After just a few hours of using this filter, I’ve already noticed a significant improvement in my FYP. It’s almost as if TikTok is a brand new app—without every single video being from an American creator spreading negativity, the experience feels much more enjoyable and engaging. The change has made me realise just how much influence one country can have on an app designed for the entire world to enjoy. No single region should dominate the platform to the point where it negatively impacts the experience for others. While this method isn’t perfect and won’t filter out everything, it should significantly improve your experience by tailoring your FYP to content that aligns more with what you want to see. Thank me later, and happy scrolling! |