Social media is possibly the most prevalent topic on college campuses. Students are constantly on their phones, refreshing any app that can give them something to look at, or swipe through. I am definitely one of these students, so here is why I am recommending a social media cleanse.
Media consumption has shot through the roof in the past years. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter are the most popular tools for young people to share where they are, who they are with, and what they are doing. Everyone is in a constant state of swiping, watching and interacting. U.S adults are spending three hours and 48 minutes a day on computers, tablets and smartphones (source). It has truly become an obsession; an obsession that is hard to break.
I am a sucker for social media myself. It is the last thing that I check before going to bed and the first thing I see when I wake up in the morning. While I do enjoy seeing what other people are doing, I can’t always help but compare myself to them. This can easily make me feel a little down in the dumps. So as a favor to myself, I decided to take a break. Not completely cutting myself off, but limiting how much time I allowed myself to be on social media.
At first it was hard. I was unsure of what I was missing. What if I was missing a message? The constant questions in my mind were a good reminder of how attached I have become to my phone. After a week, I could see a big difference in how I spent my time. Instead of sitting and staring at Instagram, I was texting friends to meet up at Dunkin’ and finding things that I don’t typically take part in. It feels really good to not constantly compare myself to others.
In conclusion, I 100% recommend cutting back your time on social media. Go out and talk to people, it will make you so much happier and productive. I promise that it is worth it! If you do decide to try the cleanse, good luck- I believe in you :)