Digital Detox: What I Realized After a Month Without Social Media
Fifty-nine percent of young adults take part in annual new years resolutions according to Forbes. I happen to be no exception. There is something exciting about the possibility of starting over, and what better time to do that than the first day of the first month of a brand new year?
This year, one of my goals was to take a digital detox from social media, so I reluctantly deleted my Instagram app at the end of December. With the average person spending 2 hours and 20 minutes on social media, it’s an addiction to many.
My decision to quit was inspired by a blog I read claiming that “30 days off social media could change your life.”
Now, that’s a bold claim. I didn’t go into it expecting a new life. However, being apart from my phone and having less screen time this month has been extremely insightful.
If you’re like me, and the first thing you do when you wake up is scroll through your Instagram feed (mostly for the memes and reels of clumsy cats) you suddenly find yourself with lots of free time in the morning. At first, I didn’t know what to do with myself, do I just get out of bed like a normal person?
For the first few days, I found myself opening my phone and searching for the app only to remember I deleted it. Therefore, I did what any sane person would do next, read the news. Initially, it was great. I felt like I was finally keeping up with the world, for the first time I knew all the ins and outs of Rishi Sunaks leadership. However, a week into this routine, I had to stop. The news was depressing, from the cost of living crisis to the war in Ukraine… it just felt like a never-ending cascade of catastrophes.
Now, I fill my morning reading much lighter news such as the latest advancements in medicine, and the English woman who keeps a pig as a pet and lets him sleep on the sofa (Bizarre, I know).
In the evenings, which also used to be filled with mindless scrolling before bed, I pick up my kindle instead or fill out a gratitude app on my phone. I’m a lot more aware of my routine and the content I am consuming.
One of the many reasons I quit Instagram was not just the time that it took away from me, but the effect it had on my mental health. Comparison is the killer of joy. Yet, on Instagram, viewing people’s life through valencia filters as they ‘work from home’ at the beach or sip Margaritas at a boat party in the middle of the Atlantic can make you feel like your life is dull in comparison.
The truth is, no one is going to show the moments when they get seasick after drinking too many Pina Coladas on their boat party, or how lonely it can be to travel the world alone.
There is nothing wrong with sharing the highlights of your life, I did it all the time, but it is important to remember they are called ‘highlights’ for a reason.
At the end of the day, life is happening now and comparing yourself to others online whether it is their perfectly toned bodies or the seemingly incredible life of adventure they live does not add any value to your own.
Now, I am not going to be a hypocrite and say I don’t share holiday snaps. I do. In fact, I realised I was so invested in getting the perfect photograph for the feed that I forgot to enjoy the moment in real life.
And I know I’m not alone in this…
I heard from a friend when she went to Bali and ordered a floating breakfast, she took so much time getting the right snap that when it came to eating, the food had gone cold. I remember at the time seeing the photos and thinking “wow that looks amazing”, but now with that information it makes me think, wouldn’t it have been better to actually enjoy it?
I will be honest, I do miss the memes and seeing updates from friends, but I don’t miss the ads, the filters, and the fake reality celebrities create.
Will I be back? Probably. But now I know how much of a difference it makes to me, my time, and how I feel, I definitely won’t be dying to download it anytime soon. And, if I do by defeat, I will make sure to be more mindful of how I spend my time on the app.
Behind me are the days obsessing over likes and people I don’t even know in real life.
If you are thinking of taking a detox, I recommend it. Test how it can change your life, because maybe in some small way, it can.
