Celebrities have started a bit of a trend in 2016. From Kendall Jenner to Ed Sheeran, they've all decided that social media was too prominent in their everyday lives and decided to take a break from it all. To me, it was refreshing to hear, especially in a world that lives on the internet. It made me take a look at how much I personally use social media every day. It didn't take long to realize that it was far too much. Between using Snapchat, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, and Facebook daily, I knew I had to start my social media cleanse with saying goodbye to at least one of these apps (at least for a little!)
I thought about leaving Snapchat for about a month or two. It felt like the most trivial app out of the five that I use. Snapchat just seemed like a way for people to keep tabs on each other or show other people how ~awesome~ of a life they were so-called living! I found myself mindlessly scrolling to the last page of apps on my phone nearly a dozen times a day to check out what was new. I would watch a few of my friends's stories, post something on mine, snap my friends, then close the app. 20 minutes later, I would do the same thing. It didn't feel healthy. So on January 25th, I announced to everyone who followed me that I was taking a break from the app.
Day 1: My first day without Snapchat was slightly difficult for me. I scrolled to the place where the app once was a few times throughout the day without even thinking. It almost scary because doing it basically came as second nature. However, it didn't take long for me to feel a slight change of how I went about my daily life. It was kind of refreshing to have one less app to check and feel the need to snapchat every mildly funny moment or thing I came across.
Day 2-3: The second and third day came slightly easier than the first. I wasn't mindlessly scrolling to find the app as many times as I used to. It felt nice to be off the Snapchat grid! Getting to have all those little moments to myself and the people around me in real life and not feeling the need to document it for others honestly felt great.
Day 4: I continued my Snapchat-free streak and went through the motions of going to class and hanging out with my friends. Though it did cross my mind a couple of times, it wasn't enough for me to want to get back on the app. In the afternoon I decided to get out and go to the movies. I walked down Jamaica Avenue and enjoyed the beautiful weather, the music playing, and took a look at the storefronts I walked past. I really noticed the difference of actually taking in what was around me with my eyes instead of through a lens. Something so small really made a difference!
Day 5-6: I felt more comfortable living in the world without Snapchat. I rarely thought about it, I had no desire to keep tabs on my friends by watching their stories and seeing what they were up to, and I didn't feel the urge to post anything on mine either. I started to think about how long I could keep this up, since the first few days were nearly a breeze. I had a few friends who would ask me "did you see my snap?" or "I posted [whatever we were talking about] on my story" and I had to remind them that I no longer had the app. Ngl, I felt pretty edgy saying I didn't have an app that is the societal norm for people to use haha.
Day 7: I officially completed a full week without Snapchat! Going into it, I had no idea how I would handle quitting Snapchat cold turkey. But I did way better than I expected.
Conclusion: I have not yet returned to Snapchat and I'm considering extending this break a little while longer. I went without using it for only a week and I think it was the longest I've ever gone since I re-downloaded the app three years ago. Even on cruises with no cellular service, I managed to find a way to get on social media at least once or twice throughout the week. I encourage every single person who finds themselves constantly on social media to cut back. I was a mental slave to these apps and I didn't realize it until I stopped using one of them. It truly is nice going through the day not looking through the lens of your phone. It's great. You wouldn't think something so small would have such an impact on your life. Make 2017 the year you experience more of your life through your own eyes. Don't worry about your friends seeing how awesome your life is at every moment like I used to. Enjoy it for you!
