I Took a 48-Hour Break from Social Media; Here is What I Learned.
About a month ago, I decided I needed a “brain break” from all social media. On that particular Friday, my head was spinning with alllllllll the content, and I just knew I wanted to experiment with taking space from the socials, including my beloved podcasts (at least for one day, regarding the latter). Here is how it went:
FRIDAY:
I drove to work in silence (no radio, music, or even podcasts) upon realizing a migraine was slowly entering my system. And may I tell you: IT. WAS. GLORIOUS! I was able to slowly ease into the day, in preparation for numerous client appointments. I felt more present and less anxious with just this simple change in stimuli; it was like I had truly filled MY OWN cup up and met my needs (which research has shown, is absolutely required before serving others). Throughout the day, I tried my best to check social media accounts less, but I did make a post stating that due to loving NOT being tied to my feed all day, I wanted to take an additional 48 hours off.
SATURDAY:
This is when I consciously decided I would not engage with Facbeook, Instagram, or Snapchat the remainder of the weekend. I created an Instagram story that I would be ‘offline’ for the next two days, and encouraged friends or family to text or call if I was needed. Yet even with this public exclamation to keep me accountable, I still found myself unconsciously opening the apps every few hours - it was like I didn’t have control over myself (The Social Dilemma documentary, anyone…?) I did, however, allow myself to re-introduce my beloved podcasts back, because listening while I cook breakfast or go on walks with Eli is a sort of ritual or routine I look forward to every weekend.
While we were out and about running errands or doing odds and ends, I continued to find myself tempted to check the apps. I even had to purposefully remind myself to put my phone away and stay present in the moment. Those experiences alone were what truly opened my eyes to how dependent I’ve become to my pocket technology.
SUNDAY:
The weekend of my impromptu experiment happened to coincide with our town’s end-of-summer festival…which I must say, was a perfect test! I may have taken loads of photos/videos of my family at the parade & in the park, yet I couldn’t post or share as I usually would. It was fascinating that this felt strange to me, when truly only a decade ago my college friends and I would [impatiently on Sunday evenings] upload digital camera photos to our Facebook albums. Times truly have changed!
MY CONCLUSIONS:
I can’t really say I missed being on social media, other than the nosy-desire to be IN the know on what others were doing with their free time. The apps I’m typically most active on - Facebook and Instagram - sure could tell something was up. Those push notifications and algorithm settings were reallllllly working tirelessly to get me to tap and mindlessly scroll (which I would, as stated before, unconsciously click then quickly exit once I realized what I was doing). I swear multiple times per hour my phone would bing! or vibrate with some insignificant notification, making me actively decline or ignore a cue I’ve become so used to feeding into. Sure, there is some privilege in me being able to step away from social media when and if I please (my livelihood does not rely on the number of followers or engagements I reach). If you do depend on technology for income purposes, this experiment might not be feasible in your situation.
FINAL THOUGHTS?
I would definitely consider doing this social media “detox” again (and truly…ONLY this type of detox, ever).
2. It was amazing to be more present and engaged with my family for a weekend.
3. Those push notifications are no joke!