1. More Time to Spend with Friends Face-to-Face
Have you ever gone over to a friends place or had someone over in your dorm to hang out and both of you just spend the whole time on your phones with minimal interaction between one another? I know I have. Many times. One of the reasons I decided to start my temporary social media hiatus is because I wanted to be able to fully focus on people when I’m with them, instead of worrying about how many likes I get on my Instagram post or who has viewed my Snapchat story. Time face-to-face with no screen in between can be rewarding in that it allows you and the people you’re with to really get to know each other and focus on each other’s lives instead of what your followers are up to. Quality time with good people is very rewarding and allows us all to just connect with each other as people and disconnect from the internet.
2. Less Distractions in Class
I don’t know about any of you, but I personally tend to check my phone a lot when I’m in a lecture class or procrastinating finishing up a homework assignment. It seems that social media is one of the greatest classroom distractions for millennials, so in order to be focused on the academic tasks in front of you, it can be of great benefit to just unplug yourself for a few days or weeks from the Socials. I too enjoy a good humorous Snapchat story when I’m in the middle of what feels like the most boring and never-ending lecture ever, but I know that my test grades might thank me later if I pay more attention to the professor than to my phone.
3. Less Pressure to Update Others on Your Life
Of course your life may be extravagant and filled with a ton of events and insta-worthy foodie pics, but sometimes it gets exhausting documenting every awesome thing you do or experience daily. Sometimes it’s just good to enjoy these moments for yourself or with those around you without putting them out there for everyone to see and comment on. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to show off great things that are happening in your life, but constantly trying to do this can be tiring.
4. Spending More Time with Yourself
A good treat yo’self days is always a must. Imagine being completely undistracted and unplugged during this day. Just you, maybe a good book or Netflix romcom, and some peace and quiet. Getting to know yourself and what you like to do for you can be one of the most rewarding things, as it allows us to gain independence and a little more self -awareness. Of course, we tend to have these days anyway, even with Twitter still downloaded on our phones, but I have been trying to enjoy this me-time without worrying about what everyone else is up to online.
5. Less Comparison of Your Own Life to the Lives of Others
Social media keeps us connected in a way people never have been in the past. While this can be a great thing, it can also lead to some negative side effects, such as comparing yourself or your life to those around you. As they say, the grass always seems greener on the other side, and this cliché metaphor applies greatly to our lives on social media. It’s important to feel confident in yourself and fulfilled in the life you are living, and sometimes that can mean cutting out one of our biggest sources of unhappiness: comparing our lives to those of our friends, family members, and even complete strangers. Taking a break from looking at what’s going on in others’ lives through the internet can be a great mental health and confidence booster because you are able to just focus on doing exciting things for yourself instead of worrying about how much more exciting the things the girl across the hall or the guy from the apartment next door are doing. You are just living for you, and to me, that’s one of the most worthwhile things you can do.
Even though this social media cleanse is fairly new for me, I have definitely noticed a difference in how I interact with others around me. I’m less distracted when talking to my family and friends and getting more fulfillment from the activities I am doing day-to-day. Don’t get me wrong, the FOMO (fear of missing out) gets real sometimes, but since my really good friends and I usually just do low maintenance texting back and forth for plans to hang out, it really isn’t so bad. Disconnecting like this for a long period of time may not be for everyone, but sometimes taking a day or two to focus on what’s in front of you, instead of what’s through the phone, can greatly benefit us all.