A Few Tips for Facebook Users

It was 7:30 a.m. when Lisa opened her eyes to the familiar buzz of her phone.
Her fingers, still half-asleep, tapped open Facebook. Like most mornings, she planned to scroll for just five minutes — check notifications, maybe laugh at a meme, and move on with her day. But 45 minutes later, she was still there, lost in a maze of political rants, product ads, and vacation photos from people she hadn’t seen in years.

By the time she got up, she was already late for work and irritated for reasons she couldn’t even explain.

Sound familiar?

If you’re like Lisa — and let’s be honest, most of us are — then you’ve probably realized that while Facebook can be a great tool to stay connected, it can also become overwhelming, time-consuming, and occasionally toxic. Over the years, Lisa learned to take back control of her feed, her privacy, and her peace of mind. Here are a few simple but powerful tips she picked up along the way — ones that might just change the way you use Facebook too.


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1. Curate Your Feed: You’re in Control

One of the biggest changes Lisa made was taking a hard look at her newsfeed. The “See First” feature became her best friend. She chose 10 people and pages she actually cared about — her sister, her best friend living abroad, a couple of travel blogs, and a local news outlet.

Facebook’s algorithm favors engagement, not necessarily relevance. That means if you liked one cat video six months ago, you might still see random cat pages for weeks. To fix that, Lisa unfollowed (not unfriended) people and pages that didn’t bring value to her day.

Tip: Go to the “News Feed Preferences” in your settings and adjust who and what you see first. Unfollow accounts that clutter your feed without the awkwardness of unfriending.


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2. Turn Off Notifications (Seriously)

Lisa used to get a notification every time someone liked her post, invited her to play Candy Crush, or tagged her in a blurry group photo. It made her feel important — until she realized how often it disrupted her focus.

She turned off all non-essential notifications and immediately noticed a shift in her anxiety levels.

Tip: Go to Settings > Notifications and choose what you want to be alerted about. You don’t need to know every time your aunt comments on a dog video.


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3. Review Your Privacy Settings Regularly

One day, Lisa searched her own name on Google and was shocked to find her profile picture and a bunch of posts visible to the public. She’d never intended for the world to see that much of her life.

She dove into Facebook’s privacy settings and cleaned things up. Now, only her friends can see her posts, and only she can see her friend list.

Tip: Use the “View As” tool under your profile to see what the public sees. Then adjust your privacy settings accordingly under Settings > Privacy.


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4. Watch What You Share

After a minor work drama involving a sarcastic status update, Lisa learned that “private” doesn’t mean invisible. Screenshots can be taken, posts can be shared, and tone can be misread.

She now avoids vaguebooking, angry rants, and passive-aggressive comments. She also double-checks what’s in the background of photos — especially if she’s posting from home.

Tip: Think before you post. Ask yourself: Would I say this to someone’s face? Am I okay with this being public forever?


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5. Limit Time With Purpose

Lisa eventually set time limits on her app — 20 minutes a day, with the help of her phone’s digital wellbeing tools. She also started asking herself why she was opening the app in the first place.

Was she checking for updates from friends? Looking for event details? Or just bored?

Being intentional helped her regain control.

Tip: Use time tracking tools like Screen Time (iOS) or Digital Wellbeing (Android) to monitor and limit your Facebook usage. Set specific purposes for when you log on.


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Final Thoughts

Facebook, like any tool, is what you make of it. For Lisa, it’s now a place to laugh, learn, and stay connected — not a black hole of wasted hours and stress.

You don’t need to delete your account to feel better about social media. Sometimes, all it takes is a few smart adjustments. So take a moment, breathe, and remember: you’re the one in charge of your newsfeed, not the algorithm.