Elijah McClain Speaks on Setting Personal Boundaries on Social Media

While social media can be a great tool for communication and entertainment, it is vital to set healthy boundaries and be mindful about its usage. Earlier, Elijah McClain had spoken about how almost every person can benefit from setting healthy social media boundaries.  Boundaries can be defined as rules or limits established by a person to protect their well-being around others. Healthy boundaries help keep personal information and feelings from others, and can prevent anger, disappointment, and resentment from building up.

Boundaries are vital for both emotional and mental well being. A lot of time, people allow others to cross their boundaries simply to avoid conflicts and chaos. However, it is vital to have healthy boundaries to protect one’s own peace and sense of well-being. Today boundaries are considered to be the key to creating a healthy digital environment. There are many ways to have self boundaries on social media, like:

• Unfollowing people: If a person feels that the updates of specific people does not give them comfort or happiness, and rather cause discomfort or disturbances, then it would be prudent to unfollow them.
• Blocking the ex: Toxic relationships or the relationships that ended on a bad note can be devastating for many. In case one has an ex whose online presence impacts them negatively, it would be a good idea to block them online.
• Being honest: One should be honest about when they want to be included socially and the limits to which they want to be included, and explain the same to their friends.
• Address jealousy:  Jealousy is a common human emotion. Some people on social media can trigger jealousy. Regardless of the reason, it would be better to try to address jealousy instead of being passive-aggressive or mean towards them. If one is unable to control their feeling of jealousy or resentment, they should simply mute or block the other person.
• Separate personal and professional life: For professionals, maintaining boundaries between personal and professional personas on social media is crucial. Clearly defining what is appropriate to share related to work and personal life helps maintain a professional image.

Good boundaries are important for healthy relationships, but when it comes to our online lives, not many people think about having clear-cut borders. The most important reason to set boundaries online is for the safety and protection of a person. When engaging on social media, one wouldn’t want to give out private information to the world, and professionally, they will not want to compromise their credibility and reputation. Moreover, at times, seeing certain things on social media can trigger negative feelings and thoughts. Having boundaries is important to stay protected from such concerns.

Clearly defining personal boundaries on social media involves deciding what content to share, whom to connect with, and how to respond to comments or messages. Communicating these boundaries with friends, family, and followers can prevent misunderstandings or discomfort. Earlier, Elijah McClain had mentioned that younger users are particularly vulnerable to the effects of social media. Parents should therefore try to educate their kids about setting boundaries, privacy settings, and safe online behavior is crucial for their safety and well-being.