When I decided to quit social media—cold turkey—I thought it would be a nightmare. Deleting Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, the holy trinity of distractions, felt daunting. As someone with a short attention span, highly active on these apps for years, I figured I’d crumble. But to my surprise, the experience turned out to be incredibly transformative. Here are the five biggest changes I noticed during my month without social media:
- I Became Way More Productive
Without the constant temptation to scroll endlessly, I found myself with so much more time in my day. From schoolwork to hitting the gym, each day felt more intentional and productive—things that usually took hours suddenly got done in half the time.
2. I Felt More Confident
One of the most shocking changes was how much better I felt about myself. Without constantly seeing curated posts of people’s highlight reels—luxury vacations, flawless bodies, or “perfect” lifestyles—I stopped comparing myself to everyone. I wasn’t aware of how often I was comparing myself to other people until after I deleted my socials. For the first time in a while, I focused on my life and what makes me happy. That sense of security and confidence was something I didn’t even realize I was missing.
3. I Lived in the Moment
I’m sure I’m not the only person in this generation who’s felt this constant pressure to capture everything on camera. Whether it be perfect photos, clever captions, or posting at just the right time, social media can drive you to focus on small things that, at the end of the day, don’t even matter. Without that nagging need to document every second of my life, I found myself truly enjoying the moment. Especially with my friends and family, I realized that along with being present, I was having way more fun anyways.
4. I Slept So Much Better
No more late-night doom scrolling on TikTok meant no more staying up until 2 a.m. every. single. night. I was starting to think I was an insomniac when in reality, it was just my TikTok addiction. Removing TikTok from my phone was probably the best thing I could have done for my sleep schedule in all honesty. I fell asleep earlier, stayed asleep longer, and woke up feeling genuinely rested. Even better, I no longer carried the anxiety of social media in bed with me, which made for a deeper and more peaceful sleep.
5. I Appreciated My Surroundings More
Stepping away from my phone allowed me to, quite literally, reconnect with nature (AKA THE REAL WORLD). I started noticing little things—how nice the sky looked, other people in my classes, how delicious a Starbucks spinach feta wrap is. I also became a better listener, giving my full attention to conversations instead of splitting it between the person in front of me and my screen.
Final Thoughts
By the end of the month, I didn’t just feel like a better version of myself—I felt like myself. I was more present, productive, and content than I had been in years. Social media isn’t inherently bad, but stepping away showed me how much it’s been dominating my life. Now that I’ve experienced life without it, I’m seriously considering keeping it off my phone for good.
If you’ve ever felt that sinking, overwhelming sense that you’re not doing enough or living your life to the fullest, I highly recommend trying a social media detox. Trust me—it’s not you. It’s the unrealistic and unattainable standards so commonly normalized around you. You’ll be amazed at how much happier you feel without it!