5 ways to set social media boundaries to improve productivity and mental health

By Alyssa Place, This is my expertise
Published Updated 2 Min Read

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It’s challenging enough to stay focused at work. Add in the distractions of social media and employees are spending more time on their phones than on their to-do lists.

The average user spends 145 minutes per day on social media platforms, 209 minutes distracted by work emails, and 52 minutes playing games — nearly 7 hours — according to various research by Adobe and McKinsey. It takes an average of 24 minutes to get back on task after being interrupted, meaning an employee’s day is filled with more idle time than productive work.

“When does time logged in become not useful? Personally, and from my clinical experience, I’m not sure if anything beyond 15 minutes on a social media platform is useful. If you’re interacting and having a conversation with a friend or a colleague, maybe that’s a good reason to be on the platform for longer.”

“Ask yourself, what am I hoping to achieve? If you’re on social media, is it to expand networks? Is it to boost relationships offline? Is it to expand your interest or knowledge? Really be very clear as to what your goals are.”

Alyssa Place
Editor-in-chief

Alyssa Place is the editor-in-chief of Employee Benefit News and has been with the team since 2019. Her work covers mental health, DEI, women at work, financial wellness, retirement and workplace … Read full bio


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