How to use social media less

Plus more health news | Email not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( [Health Matters]( [9 ways to reset your relationship with social media]( By Angela Haupt Editor, Health and Wellness I couldn't tell you exactly how much time I spend per day on social media. By the time the next morning rolls around, I barely even remember what I looked at. (Except for the cat content—that's always noteworthy.) I do know that in 2024, I'd like to spend less time mindlessly scrolling and more on fulfilling pursuits. Experts say there's good reason to set such a goal. Excessive social-media use is linked with loneliness, depression, poor self-esteem, and lower life satisfaction. There's no one-size-fits-all way to reset your relationship with social media, but I plan to test out these strategies: • Craft a mission statement. Write down the ways you want to use social media—and the ways you refuse to—and put it in a highly visible spot. One expert told me she phrased hers like this: “I use social media to connect with others, to learn new things daily, to scrapbook my life, and to express myself creatively. I do not use social media as a replacement for IRL." • Set specific time boundaries. I'm a rule-oriented person, so I like the idea of allowing myself one hour per day to scroll. You could also pencil in three 20-minute sessions to check your favorite apps. • Create friction. It might seem ironic to enlist technology to help you spend less time on, well, technology, but a variety of tools can deter you from habitually opening social media. One program requires users to complete a centering activity, like taking a deep breath, before logging into an app; another displays a clock measuring total usage time. [READ THE REST]( Share This Story WHAT ELSE TO READ [A Surgeon General Report Once Cleared the Air About Smoking. Is It Time for One on Vaping?]( By Mike Stobbe / AP Some public health experts say a similar report to one 60 years about the dangers of cigarettes could help clear the air about vaping. [Read More »]( [Lloyd Austin Released From Hospital After Complications From Prostate Cancer Surgery He Kept Secret]( By LOLITA C. BALDOR and TARA COPP/AP Austin spent two weeks there to treat complications from surgery for prostate cancer. [Read More »]( [Why Older People Love Pickleball So Much]( By Holly Burns The sport is a low-impact way to get moving, plus an avenue to socialization. [Read More »]( [Why Online Shopping Makes You So Happy]( By Angela Haupt Experts explain the psychology behind online shopping—and tips to show restraint. [Read More »]( [2024 Must Be the Year for Exponential Climate Action]( By Lawrence Tubiana and Catherine McKenna Five steps to move the world forward on fighting climate change in 2024. [Read More »]( ONE LAST READ [Beware the animal pandemic]( After so many years of COVID-19, no one wants to think about the possibility of another novel virus infecting humans. But as a new flu strain tears through numerous bird and mammal species, scientists are assessing whether it may someday make the jump to humans—a possibility that looks remote for now, but for which we should be prepared, as the Washington Post reports. [Read More »]( If you were forwarded this and want to sign up to receive it daily, [click here](. Today's newsletter was written by Angela Haupt and Jamie Ducharme, and edited by Mandy Oaklander. [Want more from TIME? Sign up for our other newsletters.]( [Subscribe to TIME]( TIME may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this email. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Connect with TIME via [Facebook]( | [Twitter]( | [Newsletters]( [UNSUBSCRIBE]( [PRIVACY POLICY]( [YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS]( TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508, Boone, IA 50037-0508 Questions? Contact health@time.com Copyright © 2024 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved.