While social media is a great way to interact with people from all over the world, students tend to get carried away easily. We’re unable to focus on our studies or work. In the current COVID-19 situation where we rarely meet our friends or go outside, social media gives us consolation and comfort. However, achieving a balance is crucial. It is hard, but not impossible. We’ve compiled a few tips that can help you manage both social media and school work.

• First, you need to be sure of what you want and put in the effort to achieve it. It is essential to sort out your priorities – which is more important? Studying for your exams or scrolling through your Instagram feed?
• Enabling screen-time, deleting apps, or turning on airplane mode are some options that you can start with. If these strategies don’t work for you, start with small steps: either turn off your notifications or limit yourself to using your phone at intervals of 2-3 hours.
• Time yourself while you’re working. Give yourself breaks every 30-45 minutes. Automatically, the amount of time you spend on social media will balance out the amount of time worked. Additionally, it’s a good idea to keep your phone in another room altogether. 
• Set up a desk specifically for studying. Try not to study on a bed or on a sofa. This will help you focus more and will prevent you from constantly getting distracted and reaching for your phone. This way, you get your work done not just quickly but also with full concentration.

You need to remember that the point is not to completely stop using social media, but to balance it out with your other work. Social media should not be the reason you’re failing class or distancing yourself from family. It is better to work hard for a short period of time rather than waste long periods of time and end up regretting it. It will take patience and determination, but at the end of the day, it will be worth it.