STYMIE SOCIAL MEDIA ACCESSS

Block notifications

Social media apps love sending us constant alerts. To stop them on iOS, tap Settings > Notifications. Tap an app (such as Facebook), then turn off notifications. On Mac, go to System Preferences > Notifications and click your chosen app, then deselect Allow Notifications.

Measure your activity

Facebook and Instagram let you see how much you use the apps and set limits. On Facebook go to Settings & Privacy, then ‘Your time on Facebook’. Select a time limit, after which the app will suggest you give it a break. Tap ‘Change notification settings’ to temporarily mute alerts.

Put a stop to tagging

By blocking other people from tagging you in photos or posts, you gain more control over your social media presence. This way, if you don’t upload or post something, you shouldn’t expect to be notified, giving you one less reason to be distracted from more important things.

Add friction to checking social media

This may sound obvious, but here’s a simple tip: just delete social media apps from your device. That way, you must use the apps’ websites to log in. That extra step means it’s no longer so straightforward to waste time scrolling your feed and checking notifications.