Values clarification — identifying what matters most to you at the deepest level — is a cornerstone of ACT therapy for social media and provides direction when social media removes other navigational tools.
Why Values Matter for Social Media
Social Media often disconnects us from our values through avoidance, withdrawal, and reduced capacity. Reconnecting with values provides:
- Direction when social media has eliminated other motivation
- Meaning that persists even through difficult social media periods
- A basis for action independent of how social media makes you feel
Clarifying Your Values with Social Media
Ask yourself: 'If my social media were less present, what would I be doing more of? What kind of person would I be?'
Values are not goals (achievable and done) but ongoing directions: being a present parent, creating beauty, contributing to others.
Values-Based Action in Social Media
ACT therapy teaches: act according to values even when social media is present. Small values-aligned actions, despite social media, are more sustainable than waiting for social media to lift first.