Is it Tuesday already? This week’s Little Dose of Joy is a relatively short one (because it’s only Tuesday and yet somehow it feels like it’s been a long week 😬). 

I’ve been paying more and more attention to who I follow on social media, and it’s led to a very different looking Instagram feed than I had six months ago. Essentially, my criteria for following or unfollowing someone boils down to a simple question - how do I feel when I come across this person’s posts? If it makes me feel small, it’s pretty much a hard no/time to unfollow. If their account makes me want to spend large sums of money on things I don’t need (looking at you, influencers), they’re also usually out. If their account makes me feel jealous of their life, I take a beat - sometimes a long one - and try to decide why that is. If I can change that jealousy into a feeling of inspiration, I continue to keep them around. 

I’ve also actively sought out people who feel aligned with who I am or who I want to be - those who post more than just the glamorous shots and vacations. There is SO much content on the internet, it’s worth seeking out a couple of fun accounts that you know will either make you laugh, make you think, or brighten your day. A few of my personal favorites are Good News Movement, Mari Andrew, Sara Blakely, Live From Snack Time, Glennon Doyle, Humans of New York, and Diego Perez.

What about the accounts that challenge your point of view? If someone is spewing hate or saying things that make your blood boil, they’re probably worth unfollowing entirely. But I feel that we need to be careful unfollowing everyone we disagree with, lest our feeds become echo chambers of our own emphatic beliefs. If you’re feeling up to it, continue following people who challenge your perspective in a healthy way, whatever you deem that to be. 

One last note: the mute button is a beautiful thing. You can either hide or mute posts on Instagram and Facebook and then choose to unmute them later if you feel like it. This can be helpful if you just need a break from someone for a little while (like until December 2024…), but don’t want to unfollow them entirely. 

These are the loose rules that have worked for me, but my relationship with social media is still very much a work in progress. Any advice? What’s helped you guys ensure your Insta / Tik Tok / Facebook / Twitter is a bright spot instead of a dark cloud? 

Wishing you all a week of uplifting content.