According to a Digital Information World infographic, 18 percent of employees spend 15 minutes on social media during the average workday. Moreover, 19 percent of workers spend 1 hour on social media, while another 9 percent spend two hours on the social media platform of their liking.
While these statistics are not quite alarming per se, many organizations have since woken up to the fact that social media presents equally significant downsides.
This increasing concern comes even though many companies across the globe continue to praise the revolutionary impact that social media had on the workplace. After all, in the very least, social media has enabled better connectivity between employers, employees, and the rest of the world.
Challenged by the counterproductive impacts that social media has presented in the workplace, it has become necessary for companies to find the perfect balance in its use to ensure that only gain is realized. So, to help, this article explores some tell-tale signs that imply too much use of social media in the workplace. Go through them to know when it’s time to cut back on the hours you spend on your favorite platform.
When Social Media Becomes Addictive
Using social media makes people more and more absorbed as they try to keep themselves occupied with images, posts, and videos from different parts of the world. In the end, they become addicted and start performing dismally at work.
If you realize that you cannot put your phone down and take a break from social media, then there're chances that you are addicted. Your addiction is even dire if you have started becoming sluggish at work. So, to get back on the right track, it helps to get some help in the form of counseling and so forth.
When Social Media Can Harm Your Privacy
If you have reached the point of oversharing your personal information such that the details you've given out there can be used to harm you, then you've probably had too much social media. When in this situation, it helps to step back from an app like TikTok, or any other, where your information is present. This way, you can reclaim your life slowly and win back your privacy.
When You Crave Attention
Tracking your posts and photos often is a sure sign of too much social media. This habit is of a person who has become an attention-seeker and social media-dependent to the point where they live for the attention that they gain from the various platforms they are on.
When You Start Having Psychological Issues
If you realize that you get an immense psychological boost when your posts go viral and feel miserable when that does not happen, you've had too much social media. It is a fact that psychological problems are common for people who tend to peg their self-worth and importance to others, in this case, when others like your posts.
When It’s Affecting Your Productivity
Using social media at work from time to time is not bad. If brief social media breaks help you to reduce stress, increase morale, and refresh your mind, it might be good for productivity as well. However, if you spend most of your working hours on social media such that it affects productivity, remember that it's your reputation you are putting on the line. If that is the case, then you are most likely overdoing social media.
When You Are Using Social Media to Vent About Work
We are often told that it’s not professional to complain about your boss or workplace to others. That includes social media too. However, today the majority of people use social media platforms to share their happy moments as well as vent about their frustrations. If you are using social media to complain about your overbearing boss, post drama going on in your office, you probably need to take a step back and evaluate the consequences of your actions. It’s not just your current employer who might be unimpressed about such actions but also future employers.
When It’s Hurting Your Relationship with Other Employees
Jealousy among peers doesn't happen with teens alone. Working adults also struggle with it. Employees who become envious of workmates who have more success can create discord in the workplace. If social media is straining relationships between colleagues, creating bad blood withing teams, promoting bullying and other types of harassment, it's most likely that it is being used too much. If the situation is not regulated, it can lead to lower overall productivity in the company.
How to Avoid Getting Consumed with Social Media at Work
Overdoing the use of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. at the workplace can have dire consequences on relationships, productivity, and happiness in the workplace. If you feel like you are using too much social media, especially during your working hours, here are some tips you should try:
- Turn off social media notifications: if your social media notifications are on, you will most likely be distracted by new messages every few minutes. Turning them off will, therefore, help you stay away from your phone for longer.
- Be discreet: be careful about what you post on your social media accounts. Avoid sharing ill-tempered posts about your workplace, colleagues or boss, or other sensitive workplace matters on social networks.
- Set a Limit: decide how much time you want to be spending on an app and stick to that limit. To make that possible, however, you should download a social media tracker or app to help you follow the plan.
- Keep your smartphone away: try keeping your phone away from your desk. That way, you can concentrate on your work better without constantly looking at your phone screen.
- Delete the addictive app: if everything else fails at deterring you from overusing social media, consider deleting the apps for a week or more to overcome the addiction. ##Bottomline Social Media is more like a down-edged sword. If used responsibly, it can have positive impacts on employees’ emotional and psychological wellbeing. However, if it is used too much, it may lead to undesirable consequences as well. So, assess yourself to know which category you fall in and take the necessary remedial measures.
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