I’m sure you’ve seen or heard of people who do a “screen detox,” as I call it. They realize the control social media has on their life, or realize how much time they’re wasting, or notice a change in themselves and blame it on social media. This summer, I decided to do a screen detox of my own for a month. I removed Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat from my phone for the entire month of July. Some called me crazy, others applauded me for my bravery, and many joined me in my decision. You may not notice it, but social media has a huge effect on how we see ourselves and the world around us. After a month free from it, I have much to share.
First, let me tell you briefly why I decided to give up social media. My entire freshman year, I compared my college experience to what I saw of my peers’ on social media. Disclaimer: what you see online isn’t real life. We are all guilty of editing our pictures, editing our faces, editing our bodies. What we post online isn’t an accurate representation of ourselves, it’s the way we want others to see us. We want others to think our lives are perfect, so we hide our flaws and struggles. What I saw on social media made me question why my life wasn’t perfect, and it took a major toll on my outlook on college. I realized, after two semesters of this unknowing comparison, that social media was the cause and that I needed to make a change.
During my month offline, I noticed a big change in myself and my habits. I became more productive, more outgoing than before, and more content with my life. There was no comparison of myself to whoever I saw on Instagram. I was no longer glued to my phone, and felt comfortable leaving it in my room for hours at a time while I was doing other things, which I don’t think is something a lot of us can say. Not only was I free from the pressure of keeping my social medias up-to-date, but I actually became annoyed with how much the people around me were on their phones.
Since I wasn’t worried about having my phone or posting things on Instagram, I spent a lot of time observing the world around me. Have you ever been at a restaurant and notice a group of people sitting together, and they are all scrolling through their phones? It’s more common than you think. I also noticed how much time people spend on Snapchat, especially. Everyone is recording and documenting every waking moment of their lives, and while we might feel like we are recording memories to look at later, I believe this recording and documenting is actually taking a toll on us. Instead of looking at the world around us with clear eyes, we are looking at it through the lens on our phones.
I encourage you to a detox of your own, whether it’s a day, week, month, or even a year! You will notice a change in yourself, and it will give you a different view of the amazing world we live in.
In the words of Doe Zantamata in his book “Measuring Up”:
“If your parents ever measured you as a child, they had you stand against a wall, and made a little pencil mark on the wall to show your growth. They did not measure you against your brother, or the neighbor’s kids, or kids on TV. When you measure your growth, make sure to only measure your today self by your past self. If you compare your relationships, your success, or your anything against anyone else, you are not being fair to you. Everyone has a different path, a different pace, and different challenges to face along the way.”
