Back in October, I made the decision to try a 30 Day No Social Media Challenge because it was something I had been considering for a while. I want to preface by saying I was by no means a heavy social media user and I knew that removing myself from social media would have a positive impact on my life to some degree, but I had no idea it would change my outlook on life so drastically. If you are somebody interested in living without social media for a while, this article is for you!
One thing that really amazed me during this challenge was how little I missed getting online. Aside from scrolling through my apps in confusion a few times looking for Instagram, the transition was pretty smooth. I was able to really be present in the moment and focus on what was happening around me. I felt so much more grateful for the present moment and found myself overwhelmed with joy by things like sunny days and people who smiled at me on the way to class.
Contradictorily, I felt more connected with other human beings. By removing social media scrolling from my day, I was no longer seeing posts by people I did not like or who filled me with jealousy. The people I encountered on a day to day basis were people I wanted to see and those who would connect with me on the phone were people who genuinely cared about me. It is eye opening and refreshing to see who reaches out to you when you are not conveniently online.
Another major thing I found by removing social media from my life is the sheer amount of time that opened up in my schedule. I never realized how much 5 minutes here, and 15 minutes there really added up. Truth be told, getting rid of social media is the reason I write for Her Campus today. After communicating to my roommate that all this extra time left me wanting to spread my ideas about healthy living and self-love, she led me here, something I am beyond grateful for.
Aside from picking up a new hobby, I was able to allocate more time to my other passions like animal rights, which led me to start up an Animal Rights Club on campus. Of all the 30-Day Challenges I have tried, there is no question that getting off social media was by far the most impactful and life-changing.
Once the 30 days were up, I had no desire to get back on social media and continued to stay off for another three months! Currently, I have Facebook and Instagram on my phone, and have no intent of re-downloading Snapchat, as I found it the most addictive. I use Facebook because I am a social media coordinator for The Humane Party of Maryland and use Instagram to occasionally post a picture that brings me joy to share, but never allow myself to scroll through the feed.
If these benefits excite you, and you want to learn more about how to do a 30-Day No Social Media Challenge, check out next week’s article for a How-to!