A typical day in college is incredibly busy for me. Yet between classes, homework, work, exercise, a social life, and sleep, I find that I actually have quite a bit of free time now to journal, read, or just relax. Ever since I deleted social media at the beginning of the year, I’ve realized just how much time I would spend scrolling through Instagram or checking people’s Snapchat stories – time I could be spending on my own growth and wellbeing. I expected deleting social media to be difficult, but I’ve found it to be anything but.
My primary reason for deleting social media was for my mental wellbeing. I would often compare myself to other people in terms of appearance and socioeconomic status, wishing I could be posing next to them in that picture from Aruba instead of going to work for a few hours. My own self-esteem, while usually at a healthy level, seemed to plummet last semester as I spent more and more time scrolling through my Instagram feed. It got to the point where I didn’t feel like I was “good enough.” I spent too much energy caring about who didn’t follow me back or who didn’t read my message – and though I knew deep down I was reading way too much into it, I couldn’t convince myself to just let it go. This social anxiety wasn’t good for my wellbeing, and I was ready to get rid of it.
As a lot of social media users do, I fell into the trap of defining my value and worth in terms of the number of likes, views, or comments I got. I hated placing my value in such shallow terms, especially since I knew, deep down, that my level of popularity on social media has nothing to do with my identity. Instead of letting social media define me, I wanted my actions, interests, and goals to shape my identity. I wanted to focus on people who genuinely cared about me, rather than the virtual people online.
So, I got rid of that baggage. Goodbye snap and Instagram, and hello to a thriving Shiloh.
I also realized that while last semester was easier in terms of academics, this semester would be quite different. Coming back for spring semester, I planned on becoming more active on campus by starting a job or two and getting more involved with my extracurriculars. I also wanted to challenge myself mentally and physically by taking harder courses and exercising regularly. I wanted to improve my time management, focus on my health, and just thrive. Ever since I’ve deleted social media, I’ve had plenty of time to complete all of the goals I previously set for myself and more. The time I would normally have spent on my phone was something I was truly ashamed of – now, my phone charge usually doesn’t go below 60%. I normally only use my phone for the bare minimum; I answer texts, reply to emails, and listen to music. I love having so much time to work on my goals, and it feels amazing not having to depend on a device so much.
It’s been about a month and a half since I deleted social media and I’m convinced it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made for myself in a while. My self-esteem has grown back to a healthy level. I feel more confident in my appearance as well as my background. I’ve stopped comparing my life to other people’s, and am progressing towards a greater appreciation of what really matters. I highly recommend a social media break – it really puts things in perspective!