Is it time to Marie Kondo your Facebook?

Does it spark joy? It’s a simple question when it comes to a t-shirt you have had since college, or the kitchen tool you’ve never used.

But, how do you use that measurement to help with your social media?

I would love to take a few minutes to share what I’ve done in hopes it might help you:

1. Blocking clickbait news

I have blocked ALL news organizations. This isn’t about putting my head in the sand, but with the way people share news – media outlets over-sensationalize headlines (for maximum clicking) and it’s just not what I want to be doing when I spend time on Facebook.

2. Blocking spammy pages

I have blocked most of the sites that just churn out ‘shareable’ content. There are a number of Facebook pages that share content for the sole purpose of getting engagement. It isn’t unique or remarkable. It is the same stuff that people share over and over and over again… and it’s gotten old.

3. Blocking political pages

I have blocked all right-wing AND left-wing “news” websites. There is a lot of misinformation that people share that is so slanted. It’s the content that causes fights because it’s so ridiculous. For every anti-vaxing site, there is another one refuting every argument. Either way – there is no new information, no compelling anything.

4. Prioritizing people that matter

I have marked some people as “See First.” Then, every time I log in, I see their new posts at the top of my feed. (I only do this with a few key people)

5. Organizing friend groups

I’ve created friend lists. Those allow me to put specific people into groups I create – then I can go through those feeds individually.

6. Maximizing the ‘snooze’ option

If all people ever post is negative, anger-inducing things and most politics – I snooze them for 30 days. The interesting thing about this tactic is that I rarely see their posts anymore even after 30 days.

7. Differentiating between business and personal

If people have a business and NOT a business page – and therefore share about their business all the time on their personal profile, I snooze them, too. If you have a business, you need to have a business page.

8. Taking a break from social media

This isn’t about my feed specifically – but I also spend VERY LITTLE time on Facebook over the weekend. It’s a regular break from the noise and I need that.

I hear people complain a lot about Facebook and all the negativity and blah, blah, blah. This is a reminder that ultimately YOU have control over how you consume information on the platform. 

These are a few ways I limit the way the Facebook algorithm affects my newsfeed. And, you know what? I get so much more JOY from Facebook this way! Bonus!

Need more advice? Feel free to connect with me!