Letting Go For Lent

By Callie Korth

Today, social media has become intertwined with each aspect of our lives - from taking Instagram pools on how we should dress, to snapping Snapchat streaks before we even get out of bed. I decided to test my own social media dependency during Lent - a Christian practice of making sacrifice as a symbolic demonstration to Jesus Christ’s fast for 40 days in the desert. I wanted to push myself to give up something I felt I depended on, and to my surprise, I discovered so much about myself in the process. You may ask, “what is so special about a few days without using social media?” Well, here’s what I found.

I found I had so much time for myself. It’s crazy - I didn’t realize how much I spent on my phone until I didn’t have social media. Everything from Snapchat stories to Facebook videos, I was logging and average of over 20 hours each week on my phone doing absolutely nothing productive. I felt I was so overwhelmed everyday with homework, when in reality, it was the constant snapchat messages I felt obligated to respond to that kept me from having the time to do what I needed to do. I actually ended up having extra time - taking up a few hobbies like drawing and reading - interests that had become lost to mindless scrolling on social media.

I found my lifestyle had become more stress free. My anxiety was practically nonexistent - and this comes from a person who is particular about everything she does. I was no longer worrying about everything I had to do, not worrying about useless little things like if my streaks would disappear. Initially, I was a bit worried because I was afraid I would miss out on something my friends may be doing, or I’d fail to be informed on some big announcement. Yet, as I went through the day without social media, I was still informed by friends and family if anything truly serious happened, though nothing really did.

I found I was happier than I had been and began to put my health first. Instead of focusing on pleasing others with sending meaningless “streaks” everyday, I put myself above others. I stopped getting sad over Snapchats where friends had been hanging without me or jealous over who had the best new Instagram post. Instead of being swallowed in my screen’s brightness at 12:00am on a school night, I took time to go to bed at 9:30pm every night (because I was bored, so why not sleep?), and wake up at 5:30am to work out, get some homework done, and have breakfast without any distractions. My grades were great; I felt good; I would go to school each day focused and ready for whatever came my way.

I found I held myself with a bit more confidence. Today, everyone sees these “perfect” people on social media, sucking in their stomachs and caking on makeup to try and fit society’s conventional standards of beauty. I remember so often wishing I could be just like these people I barely even knew, and I’m sure I am not alone in thinking this. We all strive to be someone we are not and obsess over someone who may not be as perfect as they seem. Without feeds filled with models and unachievable standards, I began to feel more like myself. I focused less on being someone I am not and focused more on being the person I was meant to be all along, which is crucial when you are discovering where you belong in this world.

I found my sleep improving. Remember those nights you’ve stayed awake scrolling through endless recommended Instagram videos, only to turn your phone off and not be able to sleep? According to Sleep.org, this is because the blue light emitted by screens on cell phones, computers, tablets, and televisions restrain the production of melatonin - the hormone that controls your sleep/wake cycle. Reducing melatonin makes it harder to fall and stay asleep, which is why so many of us feel tired. When I didn’t have social media, I would go to bed early, sleep soundly through the night, and wake up without feeling tired - which was a new concept to me.

Today, I am glad to say I have changed for the better, and I will never allow myself to go back to my old ways. Usually, I’m on my phone for maybe an hour a day at most, tracking my progress with and app called Moment. I now have Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter redownloaded, but they are mainly for important things like concert dates, messages, and updates. Yes, I still post on my Snapchat story quite a bit, but I don't keep Snapchat streaks, and I rarely scroll mindlessly through feeds - regardless of the app. When I study, I shut my phone completely off and do not worry about what the world may be doing. People had always asked me during those 40 days, “how can you go that long without social media?” and honestly, I couldn’t tell them how. It just became exciting to quit such a destructive habit, and in no time, I had absolutely no attachment to the apps I had been obsessed with in days prior.

Too often, we focus so much on what’s through a screen that we forget to focus on what’s best for us: ourselves. Son next time, instead of Snapchatting someone who is sitting right next to you, log off for awhile, communicate, and discover all that may be out there when we decide to challenge what society thinks may be best for us.