Social media is the norm for Gen Z. Around. 75% of American teenagers have social media profiles, says Common Sense Media, and most have experienced one of these feelings over what they see: jealousy, stress, self consciousness. It’s also a place where we spend a lot of our time. Personally, I spend around three hours on social media a day, and I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of it. Here are five things you can do to better your time instead of using social media.

ART! Creativity makes life more enjoyable. Anything from photography, dance, painting, or sculpting can boost your mood and give you new perspectives in life. These activities can relax you and you can even try new things. Creating positive art can also help create a positive mood. Creating art that embraces your own beauty or the beauty of nature can show you the truth, and not the filtered reality through the screen.

Spend time with family, friends, and yourself. Although the word, ‘social’ is in the name, social media is still a distraction from the ability to interact with people in real life. You’ll be able to have an actual conversation, and fully talk through feelings or stresses you’re going through, rather than reading a post which might hide the full story. Spending time with yourself is important too, so you can actually help yourself, rather than ranting to people who may not help you.

Homework. Yes, you heard that right! This is the year to start! Procrastination can be the worst. The first step is to delete social media, which I for one can catch myself being distracted all the time by this. Your friend posting about their shopping trip can wait.

Learn a new instrument! A ukulele or piano keyboard are small and easy to keep in your room, so you can easily pick one up and start playing. With extra time to spare, you can spend that time learning new songs to sing along to with your friends.

Lastly, writing or keeping a journal. This may be a shocker, but somethings said on social media should better be left unsaid. If you use social media as a ranting platform, think again. Writing in a journal helps to let your emotions flow in a safe place that cannot be judged by others or used against you. You can be as creative as you want with your writing, or even make a fun bullet journal.

Social media can be used in a healthy way, and allows you to connect with many people. However, most of us find ourselves distracted at some point or another. Try one of these things out and see how it goes.