How to Survive a Month Without Social Media

How to Survive a Month Without Social Media

Social Media is the addiction we all know and love. There’s Tiktok, Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and even Pinterest. If we are spending up to 4 hours a day on these social media apps, that means we spend roughly 50 days a year looking at our phones (Zalani). The different mechanisms these social media platforms use to keep us engaged are tearing us away from hanging out in person with our friends, completing school work on time, and involving ourselves in day to day interactions. I noticed myself spending hours scrolling on Tiktok and falling into the patterns of laziness . My school workload was increasing, and I needed a break from the addiction. I challenged myself to go a month without social media. 

The first few days were absolutely horrible. I kept opening my phone thinking I could start watching videos online but then realized I couldn’t. I was able to read more and take my mind off of feeling left out of things happening in people's lives. I felt almost lost without being able to connect with my friends via social media. I never had games on my phone because I always had social media to look at, so I started downloading different apps. All of them bored me, and I gave up trying to find a way to pass time. 

After a week, I noticed  positive habits forming. I would get my homework done and study earlier, rather than working late into the night. I felt more creative and open-minded to writing poetry again. I found myself doing little tasks here and there around the house that I wouldn’t have been compelled to do with my phone in my hand. Even though I was receiving  emails from Tiktok everyday about videos I was missing,  I began to forget the urge I had to use social media platforms. Curious about the addiction I felt, I  watched “The Social Dilemma” on Netflix three times. I had watched it when it came out, but I didn’t have a very open mind then. The addictiveness of social media  became a passion, and I wanted to find out more and more information. 

Towards the end of the month, I found myself not wanting to redownload social media. Living without it honestly gave me peace of mind. It wasn’t the first thing I thought of when I opened my phone. I also observed others being on their phones constantly. I would try having a conversation with my parents and friends and they were either on their phones or wanting to show me something from their phones. This out-of-body experience made me realize how much of our lives we are truly giving up to likes, videos, comments, streaks, etc. Yes, social media is good in many ways: families are able to connect more, people have found organ donors, and it can inspire creativity. But the way these platforms are created, they are meant to psychologically manipulate our minds. 

Take a week without social media or set a screen time limit and not override it. Start a painting, redecorate your room, go out with friends and not spend the time on your phone. It is difficult to stop, but it would benefit you in more ways than one. Live life without having to take out your phone and film it for the rest of the world. Take a break from the addiction corrupting us.

Works Cited

Zalani, Rochi. “Average Screen Time: Statistics (for Laptops & Smartphones).” ECM, 11 Nov. 2022, https://elitecontentmarketer.com/screen-time-statistics/#:~:text=As%20per%20eMarketer%2C%20the%20average,What%20is%20this%3F&text=That's%20roughly%2050%20days%20a,3.