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In the Philippines, there are approximately 55.9 million people who are on social media today. If that’s not surprising enough for you, Filipinos have topped the global ranks in terms of online presence once again for the fourth successive year. With millions of content available on the internet today, Pinoys can either use these platforms as a form of distraction or as a tool that can foster productivity.
As most people all over the world know by now, Filipinos love community and on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram more Pinoys are getting their news (and thoughts) on social media more than any other medium. Just last year, Pinoy-centric app KUMU was launched which allows “Kumunities” all over the world to interact online via live streams and online game shows. Today, it is considered the fastest-growing social media app in the country with more than 1.5 million users globally.
Indeed social media can be addictive and quite unfortunately for some, is replacing face-to-face interaction or hindering productivity at an alarming pace. But the real question is: can you stay productive while using social media? Surprisingly, the answer is a resounding yes!
Make use of time tracker apps
Social media is indeed more fun than most daily work on our plates but it’s definitely not right to jeopardize your job because of too much online browsing. Downloadable for free over the App Store and Google Play is an app called RescueTime which allows you to track the time you spend within a day doing everything and including those you spend on social media.
Once you discover how much time you spend on your favorite platform and compare it with your allotted hours for work, you can start gauging if your online obsession is taking too much of your daily time that it already affects your productivity. If that’s the case, scale down on your online time so you won’t have to make any excuses if you don’t get any work done just because time flew while you were having fun flicking the screen with your thumb upward.
Make your own lifestyle
Ask yourself who do you follow on social media? Are they models who you admire for their beauty or fitness experts who you think can help you lose weight? Regardless of who you follow, always think of what they did in their offline lives to inspire you and then follow their lead. Most productivity is made when you go out into the real world and make a real difference. Not to shame influencers who have made it big by being online most of the day such as gamers and models, but for sure they also have real lives to lead and real advocacies to engage in.
The best way to be productive while on social media is to get great tips from your influencers and apply them in real life. Go out and exercise, explore the world, or indulge in that Kayseiki ryori instead of just admiring things online and crying inside because you aren’t able to do anything real. The sad thing is that for some users, social media merely present lifestyles that impress them, rather than inspiring them to lead a similar (or better) one.
Link with like minds
Like what was mentioned earlier, social media can either be a tool for distraction or for productivity. The beauty of the internet is that it connects people and makes things go faster, even in terms of being productive. Seek out people who can help you appreciate your own expertise. Have you considered doing some freelance writing or being a travel blogger? If this seems like a good idea to you then follow practicing professionals who have made a living out of it and learn from the best for free! Use social media with purpose and intention instead of plainly stuffing your head with useless information that won’t contribute anything worthwhile to your own life.
Just pick three
If productivity has some limitations, so does the use of social media. This means that you should limit the number of social media platforms that you are active in so you won’t get distracted on who you want to connect, what you want to know, or how you want to do things. While the three major social media platforms are enough for most people, there are more productive platforms out there such as LinkedIn or Fiverr that can even offer you great opportunities and some extra income. A good rule of thumb is to concentrate on no more than three social media accounts so that you remain connected with your networks in each one. Just make sure that your chosen platforms can really help you be more productive rather than take away more of your time on irrelevant things.
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