control your media

How to Control your Media Diet

These days, it’s almost impossible to avoid distressing news, but there are ways to at least control your media diet and cut down on trolls, abusers, scam artists, and negativity on social media.

Below are some helpful tips culled from Larry Magid’s who is the CEO of ConnectSafely.org

control your mediaControl your media diet



First of all step away from your TV or computer. The constant reiteration of sad news triggers fear and anxieties.

You can get the news you need but without drowning in it. it is also important to focus on what the experts are saying only.

[Tweet “Everyone has an opinion now and can share it widely. Because they are sharing it, does not mean it is legitimate.”]

Social media is even more of a mixed bag than mainstream media because — with a few exceptions — there are no gatekeepers. Anyone — regardless of what they know (or don’t know), how they think or how crazy or false their ideas and information may be, has a platform to share whatever they want. And this includes people or bots that have a political or financial incentive to misinform, manipulate or agitate people.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to control your social media experience, including blocking and reporting tools and ways to limit what you see.



Limit your exposure

 

To control your media diet, It is advisable to spend a few minutes here and there on Twitter or Instagram. However there is no need to be in constant touch, you really should not spend your entire day tuned into social media.

“FOMO” (Fear of Missing Out), keeps most of us connected non stop, but most of us can probably benefit from missing out on at least a little bit of information now and then.

It is also advisable to limit the number of people you follow on social media. The problem with following or friending too many people is that you drown in information that may not be relevant. 



How to Use Facebook 

Facebook allows you to prioritize who you want to hear from. It is important to know that you can control your media on various platforms. If there is someone who’s posts are particularly important, you can make them a “close friend”. In addition, you can specify “see first” for their posts. If you want to hear less from them, you can make them an “acquaintance,” and if you don’t want to hear from them or share with them, you can unfriend them.

You can also block them, which means they won’t see any of your posts. And if you believe they have done something that violates Facebook’s community standards you can report them. 



Instagram



Instagram posts are public, but you can make your account private so that only people you approve can see your posts. 

You can also report, block, or restrict a person from the menu on their profile. Restrict means to block their comments on your posts from being seen by anyone except them. That way they won’t know their comments have been blocked unless someone else tells them.

Lastly, Instagram just introduced “Guides”. This is a way to encourage creators to share positive or informative content that can contribute to people’s well-being, especially in these trying times.

There are other safety and privacy options for all of these services so, to learn more, check their help sections. Parents can also learn about keeping their kids safe on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and Roblox on ConnectSafley’s QuickGuides page.

Read Also: 5 Tips You Need to Protect your Childs’s Digital Footprint 

Product review Best Parental Control Software

For more read the Technology and Parenting Category 

 

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