I have been almost totally social media free for about a month now, and it all happened— really— by accident. For years, I was an avid user of Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. But over the last six months, I have eliminated most of the social media apps off my phone.

A while back, I was “forced” to delete Twitter off my phone, as the iPhone 5s that I had owned for almost three years only contained 16GB, and I was a hoarder of my photos and music. Later, I deleted the Facebook app off my phone, due to the amount of time I was spending on it, accomplishing absolutely nothing. Instagram was harder to let go of; I’m a sucker for pictures, and it was my favorite way to keep up with what was happening in others’ lives.

But it wasn’t until finals week of last quarter that Instagram was deleted off my phone; I just found myself reaching for it anytime I was bored of homework or confused about an assignment. Additionally, it did not feel very good to be studying in the library and see your friends halfway across the country having the time of their lives. So as of December 4, I have been free of Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat— kind of.

I allow myself to cheat from time to time, in the way that I have special rules. Instagram and Twitter I have abandoned completely, but Facebook and Snapchat were a little harder to cut out. The only way I have access to Facebook is on my laptop, and I check my notifications twice a day; honestly, I mostly do it to keep up on events and deadlines for my sorority and to post Odyssey articles. Besides that, I stay away from the Newsfeed.

I have a soft spot for Snapchat (can you have a soft spot for an app??); I think that it is a great way to keep in touch with people, even if that only means that you see their face once a day. So I allow myself to use Snapchat, with one condition; I don’t check Snapchat stories. Stories are exactly like any other social media app: a place to show off what you are doing.

Although being off social media has been wonderful for me, I do have to reflect on why, in the first place, I need to be off social media. Why can’t I feel the same way I did in high school, able to scan across my accounts without ending up feeling bad about myself? I need to find a way for my self-esteem to stay unaffected while being able to appreciate happiness in other people’s lives.

Whether you decide to delete all social media because it is a waste of your time or because it damages your self-confidence, I believe social media "cleanses" can be beneficial for everyone. It cause you to be more present in your daily life, promote other non-technological ways to spend your free time, and cultivate friendships in the real world.