Has it ever happened to you? You log on to Instagram with the intention of checking a message or searching for specific content, but the app takes over your attention from the moment you open it, and you end up wasting time on social media without even realizing it. You swipe, watch entertaining videos, memes, stories… and when you finally wake up from that digital trance, after several minutes, you ask yourself: “What was I doing there? ”
You’re not the only person this happens to.
What is LOSM
We’ll call this phenomenon LOSM (Lost On Social Media) , that involuntary straying into the world of social media, where you enter with a goal and leave without having achieved it and unaware of how much time you lost. And the problem isn’t just time, but the impact on your productivity, creativity, and mental health.
If you work in digital marketing, this is worse, because you’re literally sleeping with the enemy.
Social media isn’t bad. What’s bad is using it unintentionally. If you don’t have control, it will control you.
Why do we spend so much time on social media?
Because they are designed for that.
Thanks to AI machine learning, algorithms know what makes you laugh, what outrages you, and what content keeps you engaged. Their goal isn’t to inform or entertain you but to retain you. Every like, every video you watch, every recommendation, every interaction feeds the algorithm, giving it more information about what content triggers the release of dopamine in your brain, the pleasure chemical.
In other words, social media doesn’t steal your time. You give it to them.
Consequences of wasting time on social media
1. Distraction and low productivity
You’re in a state of continuous partial attention. You jump from one notification to another without focusing on what really matters.
If you’ve ever wondered how to stop wasting time on Instagram, the answer is simple: use the platform with intention, not out of inertia.
2. Impact on mental health
The perfect content you see on social media doesn’t reflect real life. But even knowing this, we still fall into the comparison trap. FOMO ( Fear of Missing Out ) and FOBO (Fear of Becoming Obsolete) make us believe that if we disconnect, we’ll miss out on something important.
3. Chronic procrastination
Excessive social media use becomes an excuse to avoid important tasks. But procrastination doesn’t eliminate responsibilities; it only accumulates them.
4. Lost time that never comes back
Hours wasted watching entertainment content could have been spent learning something new, improving your career, or spending time with your family; instead, they were wasted on irrelevant content.
“The problem isn’t the amount of time we spend on social media, but what we don’t do because we’re there.” – Luis Maram
How to avoid wasting time on social media
1. Be aware of your digital consumption
Measure how much time you spend on social media. Use tools like Digital Wellbeing on Android or Screen Time on iOS.
2. Set clear limits
Set schedules. If social media is affecting your productivity, block apps during work hours.
3. Turn off unnecessary notifications
Every alert is an interruption. Decide which ones you really need.
4. Prioritize off-screen activities
Exercise, read, socialize. The more fulfilling your offline life is, the less dependent you’ll be on your digital life.
Social media is a tool, not a trap
The problem isn’t the technology, but how we use it. You can either consume content or be consumed by it.
Personally, I turn off all notifications, force myself to exercise for an hour every day, read about something new, and when I use social media, I often watch videos to learn about marketing or AI. But what’s really important is discovering that the real world, the one off-screen, is much richer and more rewarding. As the movie Ready Player One would say: The only place to enjoy a good meal is the real world.
Now I ask you: Will you continue wasting time on social media, a prisoner of LOSM, or will you take back control?
