It all started in June when I shattered my iPhone 8. The screen broke so badly that half of it went black, and the other half green. I couldn’t be bothered with the thought of purchasing a new one at the time, and I was lucky enough to have two old phones as backups for these kind of unfortunate situations.
Out came my iPhone 6, which had been stored somewhere in my closet for at least 7 years. The screen was popping up due to its old battery, and it would die every time it reached about 50% (fyi, it’s gotten to the point where I can’t use it without it being constantly plugged in).
This old version of IOS, iCloud and the phone itself just didn’t have enough storage for pictures and some of my favourite social media apps. Personally, I love having photos to look back on my favourite memories with friends and family.
Although I didn’t want to do it, I did it: I deleted TikTok instead of my photos. Not long after, I had to delete Snapchat too (which, unlike most people, I still frequently use).
Sounds like the most dramatic circumstance for a Gen Z, I know.
Although I cut social media cold-turkey, and only use Instagram and Facebook occasionally now, it’s benefited me more than I would have previously thought.
When my iPhone 6 reached the point of needing to be constantly plugged-in to use it, I decided to leave it at home to charge while my third iPhone—the iPhone 7—came out of hibernation to be used solely for communication purposes with friends and family.
During the month of October, I was on a really tight schedule most days, and spent anywhere from 12-18 hours out of the house. After some time, I realized that I had begun to lose the desire to use social media, and that perhaps quitting cold-turkey wasn’t the worst thing that had happened to me.
Having some time to look back now, here are some aspects of my life which have improved having cut some social media apps out of my day-to-day life.
I have less “social media anxiety”.
I didn’t even realize how compulsive I was with social media until I stepped back from it. I wouldn’t say that I suffered entirely from social media anxiety, but I was definitely on the verge of developing some serious addiction issues in relation to social media.
Social media anxiety develops after spending too much time online, and it can greatly affect your mental, emotional, and even physical wellbeing. The results of this disorder lead to the constant desire to check your status(es), the need to check for likes and comments on posts, and the overall feeling(s) of depression, jealously, or even anger when looking into other people’s lives on social media.
After not having to manage 4-5 apps a day for only a month, I’ve noticed a general improvement in my mood and energy levels, and a specific increased ability to manage any anger bouts which may arise while using social media, or the constant need to have my phone in my hands.
If I’m feeling “less-than”, I know social media is not to blame.
It sucks to go on social media and feel terrible about yourself.
It’s not a surprise that social media has completely ruined everyone’s ability to recognize themselves as uniquely beautiful individuals. It’s difficult to feel good about yourself when one specific body type is “trending”, which makes you feel like you’re undesirable.
Jumping off of some apps and unfollowing people that do not help me feel my best has helped me tackle this feeling of low self-esteem. One of my favourite “body-pos” ladies on Instagram is Spencer Barbosa (@spencer.barbosa).
Spencer stands for body positivity and treating yourself with kindness, because at the end of the day you’re in your body foreve—spend more time loving and nurturing yourself rather than focusing on body standards.
I’ve increased my sleep quality.
When I was at my peak social media addiction, I would stay up and mindlessly scroll for hours into the night on TikTok and Instagram, not even being aware of what content I was absorbing.
To begin, the blue-light coming from our devices is harmful to our eyes, and it throws off our biological clock. This is why you’ll hear professionals recommending you to stop using your phone at least an hour before going to bed, and to refrain from using it an hour after waking up.
Along with a thrown-off sleeping cycle, engaging in content before sleep and immediately after waking up can negatively impact your thoughts for the day, and your subconscious mind while you sleep.
If you’re going to check your phone after waking up, wait at least 10 minutes before doing so… but that’s difficult to achieve when over 80% of social media users habitually check their phones within 15 minutes of waking up.
Aside from starting your day with stress by engaging with social media content, did you know that you are also physically altering your brain?
Studies show that when you go online immediately after waking up, you are interrupting the natural process of theta waves, and skipping straight into beta waves.
A quick science lesson: Theta brainwaves are active during the process of waking up and going to sleep. When theta brainwaves are active, the brain is malleable and flexible: this is why everything seems to flow freely in the mornings (well, most mornings). Tasks which you normally engage in in the morning become so automatic that during the theta state, you may find yourself disengaging from them.
By going on your phone as soon as you wake up, you automatically force your brain to emit beta brainwaves. The beta state is used when you are fully awake, and causes us to be alert and engaged: this is the state of mind we are usually engaged in.
When you check social media, you are also releasing dopamine and “dopamine-jolts”, which are linked to the amount of likes and comments we get. By entering the beta phase and simultaneously releasing dopamine, you are training your brain to repeat the action which caused the dopamine release—this is why getting rid of this morning habit is so difficult… even I still struggle to avoid my phone while having my morning coffee.
I’ve been enjoying life more.
By blocking out “trends” and not keeping up with everyone’s posts as frequently as I used to, I’ve stopped procrastinating (a huge pro when it comes to school BTW) and have been seeking out deeper connections in real life.
Along with being able to focus better and enjoy the experiences around me, I have been able to disengage from people that are not good for me. It’s normal to come across and become attached to groups of people who are not good for us—it happens to everyone. But it becomes a problem when you’re constantly around them, and following them on social media doesn’t help.
The desire to be around those who negatively impact us can be reduced simply by removing them from your profile, or if you’re not ready for that, decreasing the amount of time we spend on their pages and limiting contact with them.
TAKEAWAY
You’re more likely to enjoy yourself, your friends and family, focus, and have an increased mood if you detox from social media—a social media cleanse has definitely helped me in these aspects of life, and I’ve even started to look into new interests and hobbies.