We all know social media can be overwhelming and exhausting at times. Speaking from personal experience, it can be easy to develop a dependence on social media and our personal phones when we have no self-control. As an avid phone user, a social media cleanse had been completely out of the question until I took a class that required it as an assignment. I took it as a chance to try and wean off social media, and along the way, I learned a few things that have helped me in my journey which I would like to share with you.
- Be honest.
Honesty applies to every step of the process. Honestly acknowledging the number of hours you spend on your phone (even when it might be shocking), not making excuses to unlock your phone, and talking about your experiences truthfully are all crucial to making it work.
I remember the first time my professor asked the class how much time we actually spend on our phones. Most of my classmates reported 2-4 hours which made my 6 hours of screentime seem horrifying—I was tempted to lie, but I knew if I didn’t give an accurate estimation, there was no point in the cleanse. I got a few gasps, but being honest was the first step, and I don’t regret taking it.
However, it can be easy to fall back into bad habits. With no actual reason to touch my phone except to ease the uncomfortable silence I haven’t had in years without it, I continued to make excuses to justify unlocking my phone. It helps to have people call you out and hold you accountable, but most importantly, you should slowly develop a voice inside your head reminding you to be truthful to yourself. Since, in the end, you’re the one you’re doing this for.
- Understand that it is going to take a while.
Very often, we only hear about the success stories of social media cleanses. We hear about how refreshing it was, how life-changing being social media-free can be… but never about the struggles you might face. Not hearing about the negatives can make you question your experiences. So, I am here to tell you that it is okay to struggle and to take longer than what you expected for yourself.
At first, having unreasonable expectations for myself, I decided to completely cut off social media. You can imagine how this might have backfired: I fell back into my old routine, and possibly even worse this time around.
So even though we might feel impatient to try and see results, rushing isn’t the answer. Set reasonable expectations, and take it easy.
- Find your balance.
I thought the only way that I could come out of the assignment satisfied was to completely cut social media out of my life. However, this is unrealistic for most people because as humans living in the technological age, social media is how we stay connected to each other. It can be meaningful if you find the right balance between time spent on your phones and other aspects of your lives.
Therefore, ultimately, I think the final goal of a social media cleanse should be to explore one’s relationship with social media and personal phone without setting yourself up for unreasonably harsh expectations. Take it easy, and find your balance.