In the last few years, social media has expanded exponentially, with more than half of the global population being frequent users. We as a society are addicted. And why wouldn’t we be? It offers everything from outfit inspiration to directions to background noise. While social media has plenty of reasons to justify its usefulness, is it truly good for us?
This question finally prompted me to attempt a full social media detox. By detox, I mean the full absence of any social media platform on my device, no TikTok, Instagram, or Snapchat. They were off limits.
For context, I am a very chronically online person with my screen time being over 4 hours for TikTok, 3 for Instagram, and 2 for Snapchat every single day. Considering my previous addiction to social media, giving it up completely was a drastic but eye opening experience.
I began by deleting the platforms off my phone and brainstorming ways to fill the vast amount of newly freed time. I came up with 4 solutions; cooking, reading, watching, and creating.
In full honesty, I have never been much of a cook—I resemble more of a mess in the kitchen than a chef—but I tried to step out of my comfort zone because I had no other form of entertainment. With a lot of guidance and some motivation, I was able to create a less-than-delicious but more-than-edible pasta dish. I also finally baked the zucchini banana bread I had been wanting to try which came out delectable. With the rest of my time, I finished the show I’d been trying to watch for the past year as well as started a new book and finally completed a half-finished painting.
The break from social media allowed me to do the things I’d been longing to do while also being productive. Strangely enough, I felt more content because I wasn’t rotting on my phone all day.
Another unexpected benefit was an increase in my energy levels. It happens to be that staring at the screen all day puts a strain on mental energy and requires much cognitive and visual input making us more likely to experience meltdowns as a coping mechanism. Without social media absorbing that energy, I found myself more focused in school and better able to prioritize the important tasks in my day instead of the latest trends and celebrity gossip.
Social media itself is not the problem, but like anything else, too much of it can be cause for issues. When staring at these screens 24/7, real life and true pleasure become secondary to the worlds created on the devices. Individuality is not emphasized as it should be and the pressure to assimilate to the people seen online is more dominant within the media than ever. This is why I encourage trying a social media detox—not as a permanent solution, but as an experiment to see how life can be for those brave enough to try it, even just for a while.
