I'll admit it, I, like many of my peers, am addicted to my phone. If I'm not busy at work you can find me playing around on my smartphone. Social media apps, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram consume a lot of my free time. This week I decided to give it all up.
Day 1 - Wednesday
GiphyToday is the Fourth of July. I spent my whole day working, 11 hours total. I only went on instagram once, and that was because I forgot I had started this challenge. However, in the few lulls of the busy day at work I would have loved to scroll through my apps. I survived though, and by the time I got home I was so exhausted that I ate dinner and now I'm about to go to bed. This week may not be as hard as I had thought.
Day 2 - Thursday
https://www.popsugar.com/tech/When-Use-Your-Cell-Phone-35242074
Today I worked with an old friend, so it was easy to avoid being on my phone. After worked I jumped in the car to drive to the lake, and that's where this got a bit tricky. I was bored and naturally wanted to fill up my time on social media, but I was able to avoid the urge. Instead I chatted with my mom, listened to the radio, and texted my boyfriend (Does texting count as social media?). I'm at the lake now and I'm in an area with no cell service, so it's not even a question whether or not to use my phone. It won't work even if I try.
Day 3 - Friday
https://me.me/i/some-of-the-best-moments-are-never-captured-by-cameras-20660602
After a week of planning, I surprised my boyfriend at his house. I would have loved to capture the moment on Snapchat, but oh well. We spent the night hanging out with his family and watching a movie so once again I didn't feel the need to be on my phone.
Day 4 - Saturday
GiphyToday I spent the day with my boyfriend and his family on their boat. We enjoyed our day on the water, and I don't think I thought about my phone once the whole time we were out there. I was tempted to check social media earlier tonight while I waited for my boyfriend to take a shower. I am halfway through the week and it's been pretty easy for me if I'm being honest.
Day 5 - Sunday
GiphyMy boyfriend and I kept busy today with all sorts of things. After losing a game of mini-golf I could have easily pouted and scrolled through Instagram and Facebook, but I found myself content just enjoying other parts of my day. By the end of the day I was in the car driving home and once again I enjoyed my mom's company, the radio and I even had nice little nap. I obviously would have loved to use my phone, but I made it home without doing so. I've been impressed by my willpower.
Day 6 - Monday
https://tenor.com/view/addict-phone-social-media-notification-ooh-gif-5758832
I'm almost done! And thank goodness, because this challenge is getting old. Today was less busy for me than the rest of the week, so the temptations were even stronger. I needed to find a photo I had posted on Facebook, so I opened the app to do so and I noticed I had 20+ notifications, and I was dying to check them out. Only one more day. I can do it!
Day 7 - Tuesday
GiphyAfter a long day at work, I was really hoping to rewind with some time on social media. I am definitely looking forward to tomorrow. My notifications are racking up, and I'm so curious to know what they're for. Day 7 has definitely been the most challenging, but the week is over now, so I'd say I did pretty well with this whole thing.
This week was much easier for me than I had thought it was going to be. I think that has to do with how busy I was. There were a few moments when I was sitting around bored. If I tried this again, I'm sure the results would be different. I am proud of my ability to keep this going all week long, and I'm truly surprised how easy it was. It was nice being in the moment rather than drawn into social media. This was a challenge I would most definitely recommend.
