Social media is as polarizing as it gets.

You’ll see people say “It’s so bad! It’s corrupting our youth, making them brain dead and distracted.”

Then you’ll also see people who say, “You can educate yourself for free, get entertainment, and earn an income from it.”

Both of which are true…

When I was in my early 20’s, I would go on YouTube aimlessly for hours and watch videos ranging from Dragon Ball Z, all the way to breakdancing battles.

I got a lot of entertainment from it, but I always felt like I wasted a bunch of time at the end of the day.

Then there was Facebook…

I’d scroll through my feed, like a picture here and there, comment on a family members’ post, but never do anything that actually made my life better.

I became stuck in this cycle longer than I should have, quieting the inner voice telling me to slow down on the consumption and go build my future.

As I stayed in this cycle year after year, I knew I was wasting time I would never get back.

I worked full-time, had a girlfriend, played basketball every week…

But in my down time I was just consuming on social media.

I wasn’t building anything beneficial to my future, it was just cheap entertainment while I coasted through life.

All this did was keep me unmotivated and stuck in a cycle of no growth.

There was always a voice in the back of my mind saying “you won’t be young forever, you need to start building now.”

I was afraid of waking up one day, 50 years old, and feel like I wasted my life away.

Then one day, I started to listen to this voice.

I decided I would distract myself less.

I cut back on Netflix and Facebook and started consuming content that educated me.

Then an idea came to me:

What if I still consume content, but everything I consume actually benefits me?

Eager to meet in the middle, I gave it a go.

I swapped out T.V series for documentaries on topics that interest me.

I swapped out Dragon Ball Z videos on YouTube (still love Dragon Ball though) for videos on spirituality, online business, and health & fitness.

I became more of a conscious consumer so to speak.

Then I had another idea:

What if I filter the content I engage with?

Your feed on any social platform will expose you to similar content you've liked & commented on, or you've searched & followed.

Curious to see how it would go, I implemented it too.

Over the course of a couple weeks, I noticed my thoughts start to change.

I noticed I felt less bogged down by mindless content.

Less regretful.

More productive.

I became a researcher instead of mindless scroller.

My strategy was working.

I didn’t want to give up social media completely, but I wanted to use it in a way that would benefit me.

Over time, I took those initial ideas and developed them into a strategy on how to get the most out of social media (& improve your life 10X).

This strategy has 3 simple steps:

Before you engage with any content online, ask yourself…

• Do I want to see more content like this on my feed?

• Does this help me towards my goals?

• Will I gain anything from this?

Here’s how to approach each one from a tactical angle:

1. Do I want to see more content like this on my feed?

Have you ever accidentally (or maybe not) liked something on social media completely unrelated to people/accounts you follow, then all of a sudden your feed is full of the same content of what you accidentally liked?

It’s because of the way social media sites are set up.

When you engage with content (like, comment, subscribe) it tells the algorithm you like it and to show you more of it.

Knowing this, be thoughtful and calculated in the accounts and content you engage with.

This is one of the most effective ways to filter your social media experience.

2. Does this help me towards my goals?

We all have goals whether we know it or not.

Just because your goal isn’t to be a millionaire, doesn’t mean you don’t have a goal to pay your rent next month, or to go out with friends on the weekend, or whatever else it could be.

It doesn’t matter how insignificant they are, they’re still goals.

Now if you want a better life (which is why you’re here) you need to have clear goals and align everything in your life, including your actions, to achieve them.

When you have a clear vision of your goals it’s easy to filter out the content on your feed that’s a distraction.

Always ask yourself when you study content (not consume) if it aligns with your goals.

If not, move on.

3. Will I gain anything from this?

There will still be times when content doesn’t align with your goals, but you can still gain something from it.

For example:

I don’t particularly like SEO, nor do I have a goal to start a service-based business around it…but if I see a tip on how to increase traffic to my website, I’ll give it a quick read.

Seek content with potential to:

•Educate you

•Make you think

•Spark curiosity & new ideas

Be selfish.

Only input information that will benefit you.

Use this strategy (after a couple weeks you’ll do it without thinking) & you’ll notice how powerful social media truly is.

It has the potential to make your life 10X better

Most people just use it wrong.

Remember:

Social media can educate you, improve your life, make you laugh, entertain you…

But it can also…

Distract you, waste your time, ruin your dopamine levels, & program you negatively.

Ultimately, it’s on you to decide how you harness its power.

See you next Thursday,

Darion