I think by now we all know the impact (both positive and negative) that social media has on us, especially as a part of GenZ. On one hand, it provides us with access to new trends, concepts, tips, and socialization that betters us on a daily basis. On the other hand, we are bombarded by the overwhelming volume of information that is constantly thrown at us, the demand to keep up with certain lifestyles, and a constant anxiety surrounding the idea that we are being held to that standard that social media depicts. When the negatives began to have a heavier impact on my day to day routine, I decided to take the initiative to escape social media’s never ending rabbit hole of TMI.
The most difficult aspect of this decision for me was completely deleting the apps off of my phone. Instagram and TikTok were the first to go, since they are the apps that I tended to spend most of my time on. For the first day, it was almost an uncomfortable experience to go on my phone at random points of the day and not have immediate access to entertainment. This experience wasn’t necessarily bad though, because I noticed that I became more observant in times where I would normally resort to my phone, such as waiting for the elevator or before class. Another obstacle that I initially had to overcome was not having the hits of dopamine that I would usually get, specifically from TikTok. The super short videos that TikTok consists of contributes to an extremely addictive algorithm that over-stimulates the brain. Going cold turkey on social media was almost a shock to my brain and my body in this sense, since I was longing for a chemical that was no longer available at the swipe of a finger.
After getting over these couple of hurdles, within a couple of days I felt rejuvenated. I woke up with more energy, and noticed that I could focus for much longer periods of time and was just so much more productive within my day. Besides my screen time drastically decreasing by 40%, I realized that even though I only spend short spans of time on social media throughout my day, they accumulate to the point where I could probably spend that time completing a few important tasks instead. Not only did my productivity increase, but I no longer felt like I was living through my phone. As sad as it may seem, a lot of the time we unconsciously are living for our phones. What I mean by that is we tend to take pictures and do certain things specifically for social media instead of simply for our personal enjoyment. Having this weight lifted off of me, even if it was small, was so nice; I observed that I found more appreciation for my daily activities and surroundings.
From my own experience, cleansing your digital footprint, whether it be for a day or a month, can be beneficial on so many levels. It opens your eyes to a lifestyle that isn’t permitted by the addicting and demanding habits of social media. Yes, social media plays its irreplaceable role in society by being a place of constant information that could help in multiple areas of our lives, but sometimes that information can take up so much space in our minds that could be occupied by more relevant things instead. In this week, I broke habits that I didn’t even know existed, was more academically successful, and just felt healthier, both physically and mentally. Take this as a sign to try to take a break from your social media, because I can guarantee that it will positively serve you in one way or another!