How to Maintain Personal Boundaries in an Always-Online World: 5 Tips
Do you feel like you’re always online? You’re not the only one.
According to a Pew study, 31% of American adults and 44% of 18- to 49-year-olds say they’re online “almost constantly.” The percentage of adults who spend most of their time online has increased significantly over the past 10 years as social media and AI tools have become more sophisticated and prevalent.
It’s no surprise that similar or greater numbers of Americans believe they and their fellow digital citizens share too much online. That can lead to all sorts of problems, says Emily Forlini of PCMag, who notes that “posting any personal information online poses security risks.”
It’s never too late to make a change, and you don’t have to “log off” forever to do it. You can, instead, set firm personal boundaries in digital space while looking for social and creative outlets that don’t involve staring at a screen for hours on end.
To start, try these five simple strategies.
1. Separate Your Professional and Personal Accounts (And Content)
You’ve heard this advice before. Now it’s time to act on it. Keeping your personal and professional social media profiles is particularly important if you are responsible for creating content on your employer’s behalf. You don’t want to join the long list of social media managers who’ve mixed up accounts to hilarious and sometimes disastrous effect.
For guidance on how to strike the right balance on the professional side, look to leaders known for deft social media work. The Instagram profile for David Miscavige, who leads a growing global religion, is a great example — full of content that celebrates its mission while remaining respectful and accommodating of its followers (and other users on the platform).
On the personal side, always clarify that you speak for yourself and not your employer if you choose to post under your real name. And if you do choose to post under your real name, keep it tasteful: The aforementioned disclaimer does not shield you from real-world consequences.
2. Decide How Visible You Really Want to Be
Many people choose to conceal their “true” selves behind “burner” accounts. While this is not an ironclad strategy for remaining anonymous online, it does ensure some distance between your digital persona and your public life.
Another option is to use strict privacy settings to restrict who can see and follow your content. This is helpful if you want to keep up with friends, loved ones and trusted colleagues but aren’t comfortable with the wider world knowing what you’re up to.
3. Find Offline Outlets
If you’re like most people, you have at least one non-professional interest strong enough to call a hobby. One recent study finds about 82% of Americans can say this about themselves, and others indicate that a majority have multiple hobbies.
“Research shows that leisure activities, including hobbies, are linked to better physical and mental well-being,” says lifestyle expert Julie Beck. “They also help us build a sense of self outside of paid work.”
However, if your hobbies are entirely digital and social in nature — think gaming — they may not help you disconnect from online life. If that’s important for you, seek out offline interests that allow you to engage your passions in the real world, and perhaps alongside real people.
4. Join Supportive, Niche Communities
To that end, consider joining supportive communities aligned with your interests. This could include anything from an “IRL” hobby organization (see above) to getting involved in local government, where you can try to change your community for the better. You can post about these endeavors or not, but what’s important is that they exist outside your digital persona.
5. Be Respectful of Others’ Desire for Privacy
Finally, remember that one good turn deserves another. Your desire for personal space and privacy is by no means unique to you. Nearly everyone has a need for clear boundaries between the personal and the public. Respect these needs in others as you expect them to respect yours.
Protect What’s Important
This discussion around digital boundaries is really a discussion about protecting what matters to you. That could be your mental health, your privacy, your loved ones, or all of the above. The details aren’t as important as the reality that you deserve to be in control of your own life.
That’s not always easy in an interconnected world where information flows freely (and instantaneously) across vast distances. However, it’s a worthy goal that everyone deserves to achieve. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.