How to improve your social feeds
Social media can be a fantastic tool for staying connected with classmates and friends from your hometown. It’s also useful for , sharing your experiences and celebrating your achievements throughout the year. At the same time, social media can also have a negative influence on our well-being. Being mindful of how we engage online gives us the power to create healthier habits and build a more supportive digital environment.
To make the most of your social feeds this semester, check out these tips for creating a positive and meaningful online experience.
Audit your accounts
Do you know how many accounts you have online? Once you start looking at all of your social accounts, you may realize you have more than you thought. Social media is built into many of our favorite apps: Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, TikTok—the list goes on.
Take a moment to look at what kinds of social media accounts you have and reflect on how you use them. Ask yourself:
- What do I do while I’m on this app?
- Does it bring me joy, laughter, stress, anger?
- Does it add value to my life? How?
- Am I making meaningful connections here?
- How much time am I spending on social media? Does it feel like too much, too little or about right?
If it's not feeling quite right, here are some things to try:
Hit unfollow
Who do you follow on social? Whether your feed is full of close friends and family or celebrities and meme accounts, it’s important to know who you’re following and why.
Look at the other accounts you follow and ask yourself:
- Am I seeing posts that make me feel unhappy or put me in a bad mood regularly?
- Does this account make me feel like I need to be someone I’m not?
- Am I comparing my life, body or success with others?
What percent of people that I'm following are vetted experts in their fields vs. social influencers without expertise?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, it may be time to unfollow. If you’re worried about unfollowing an account altogether, try muting or hiding them from your feed instead. Hiding negative content from your view can help you feel a sense of relief and will free up space for accounts that support your well-being.
Pause before you post
Funny memes or group photos from your night out might seem like fun content to post but consider the bigger picture. Many internship coordinators, potential employers and even grad schools check applicants’ social media—and they often dig deeper than you might expect. Even group accounts or "finstas” that aren’t obviously tied to your real name can sometimes be traced back to you and could affect opportunities down the line.
Before you post, ask yourself:
- Could sharing this help or hurt me if a professor, employer or future roommate saw it?
- How might this affect the other people tagged or pictured?
- Does this break any campus policies, student codes of conduct or local laws?
If you’re unsure about the answers, it’s safer to skip posting. You’ll still have the memory, but you won’t risk your reputation or future opportunities.
Take a break
If you notice you’re scrolling social media all day, it might be time to give yourself a breather. Taking breaks from your feed can help you refocus and reconnect with campus life. Try making certain places—like your bed, your study spot, the library or classrooms—phone-free zones. Leaving your phone out of reach before bed, or during class or study sessions, can actually help you get better sleep, boost your focus and help your grades. Hanging out with friends in person is also a great way to unplug and enjoy the moment together. College is full of opportunities to connect—sometimes stepping away from your feed is the best way to make the most of them.
If you need extra help unplugging, try these tips:
- Move social apps off of your home screen. Having an extra step can reduce the urge to open the app as soon as you get on your phone.
- If an app doesn’t spark joy for you, consider deleting it.
- Set a timer for 20-30 minutes while you’re studying or working on a project. Avoid using your phone until the timer goes off.
- Use “do not disturb” mode. Silencing notifications can help you stay focused during the day and improve your sleep at night.
Review your phone for timer settings to limit how much time you spend on certain apps.
Social media can be a place where you find connection, gain insights and learn new skills. If you find that your social platforms are missing the mark, consider getting rid of them or using them less frequently. If you're unsure about deleting an account, see if you can deactivate it instead. This will temporarily remove your profile from the site without losing your account entirely. If you find that you miss it, you can always re-activate it later on.
As a new academic year begins, students can take advantage of Peer Wellness Coaching— a free service designed to help you set and achieve your personal wellness goals.
Peer wellness coaches are fellow students trained to offer support, encouragement and practical strategies for managing stress, improving self-care and making positive lifestyle changes. Whether you're looking to create healthier habits, find balance or simply need someone to talk through your goals with, Peer Wellness Coaching provides a welcoming space to focus on your well-being.
For students seeking support in managing or overcoming addiction to digital environments, the Collegiate Recovery Community offers a welcoming space and resources tailored to help you build healthier habits and connect with campus life.
If you’re struggling or having a difficult time coping with anxiety, depression or stress, Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) is here to help. They offer free screening appointments for all undergrad and graduate students. Screening appointments are used to develop personalized plans, which can include therapy groups, workshops, community providers, short-term individual therapy and psychiatry or a combination of these services.
For more tips, check out resources from the .