A visit to a social media site, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, has become a daily ritual for most of us, and through developments in technology and the accessibility of Wi-Fi, it is easy to be active on social media no matter where we are or what we should be doing. While this is great progress for connectivity, it can hinder our productivity.

In a 2014 survey, 89% of employees admitted to wasting time at work each day, and a large majority of this time was spent online. It can be even more difficult to avoid wasting time on social media if you spend a lot of time of your working day on the internet. However, it is important that you do try to resist the urge and focus on the task in hand, rather than sloping off to check your Instagram feed.

How Much Time Do People Spend on Social Media?

The amount of time we spend on social media has increased in recent years and teens have been found to spend up to nine hours each day on various social media platforms. Even though a lot of our time is spent online because of our work, 30% of all time spent online is through social media interaction. This has been made much easier through the technological advancements in mobile devices.

On average, we spend around two hours a day on social media, which translates to nearly 5.5 years over a lifetime. With statistics like this, it is surprising that we get any work done.

Analysing Your Time

If you unsure how much of your time you are wasting on social media, then it is advisable for you to analyse how you spend your time in order to help increase your productivity. Many mobile operating systems are now assessing how much time you are spending on apps, so it is easier to see how much work you are getting done in comparison to how much time is spent scrolling through social media. Make a conscious effort to take note of how much time you are spending online, and for what purpose.

Ways to Cut Down Your Social Media Time

There are different ways that you can limit the time you spend on social media for leisure purposes, which will help to boost your productivity. Try turning off social media notifications so that every time you check your phone you aren’t dragged in to endlessly checking new posts. There also apps now that prevent you from accessing social media at certain times of the day. This means you can focus on being more productive during working hours.

Don’t feel like you must cut social media out of your life totally. Despite its addictive nature, there are many positives to it, both personally and professionally. Through the creation of business and employment orientated social media platforms such as LinkedIn, there are many positives that can come from having an active social media presence, but be sure not to let this impact on your productivity.