NO SOCIAL MEDIA changed my life. About one year ago, I deleted my accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter cold turkey. I wanted to spend less time procrastinating, use my precious free time for more meaningful purposes, and put an end to the vicious cycle of opening and closing social media apps on my phone only to feel inferior to others.
The first couple of days without social media were difficult. I felt resentful, isolated, and, at times, downright irritated. I missed the local gossip, attention-grabbing news headlines, and status updates from friends and acquaintances. But thankfully I was prepared because I had just finished reading How to Break Up with Your Phone by Catherine Price.
Though I’m now back on social media to engage with my community of entrepreneurs, I now know that taking a break was the right thing to do. The many lessons, experiences, and challenges that came with the decision to break my social media habit led me to many important realizations. I moved away from thinking there was something wrong with me to feeling perfectly fine (most of the time).
If you have ever considered reducing your digital footprint or have ever wondered what it is like to go offline for an extended period, I encourage you to read along.
Key Takeaways
If you only take a few items away from this article, let them be these.
- No social media provided me with much time to try new things. Other than phone calls and text messages, my phone did not provide me with much entertainment.
- Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter bombard us with messages about how we should behave and what we should purchase online or in person.
- Life beyond our screens offer a richer and more authentic version of life.
No Social Media, No Pretending
Social media sites motivate us to be someone we are not.
Online platforms are not designed for showing our authentic selves because published content that makes us look perfect, rather than someone who has flaws, receives more engagement. The more followers, views, likes, and comments we receive, the more admired we appear.
A one-year break from social networks reminded me that human beings have flaws. The world is full of people who have similar shortcomings and struggles. Your specific combination of imperfections may seem unique to you, but they are not. Chances are that the online persona you admire so much is going through the same challenges that you are.
How No Social Media Reveals Your True Friends
When I deleted my social media accounts, I felt as though I lost all my old friends. I had a good following on Instagram and Twitter, and an abundance of connections on Facebook. When I deactivated my accounts, I thought I had ended those friendships.
I realized, however, that most people on my on social network were not people with whom I had a bond of mutual affection. Many of them I had never met in person, nor knew who they were.
The people who stuck around are the ones who I consider my best friends. These are close friends I spend time with regardless of my online presence. Deleting your social media profiles will show you who will be there for the successes and failures of your life, what you have to say, and how you think.
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There is a World Beyond Social Media
No social media provided me with much time to try new things. Other than phone calls and text messages, my phone did not provide me with much entertainment. My phone was not as exciting once I stopped receiving notifications from Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, so I explored other avenues of entertainment. I realized that the world is full of things to discover.
Nature is a reminder of all the beauty still left around you. Face-to-face conversations are a dynamic dance, a constant monitoring of facial expressions, what the other person is saying and how you respond to it. Books widen your horizon and allow you to immerse yourself into unique and exciting life perspectives.
Even though a phone allows us to see pictures of nature, communicate with other people, and read e-books, it doesn’t compare to the real life experience where all your senses engaged. Life beyond our screens offer a richer and more authentic version of life.
When you reduce your social media presence, you allow yourself to experience things for the first time, are less likely to engage in social comparison, and will experience the real world more fully.
Why No Social Media Improves Your Confidence
Social media platforms have been shown to make you self-critical. When we see others doing better than us and achieving the things we have always dreamed of, we naturally question our ability, competency, and social value.
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter bombard us with messages about how we should behave and what we should purchase online or in person. Advertisers and celebrities set unrealistic standards that can lead to self-doubt and diminish our confidence.
The act of disconnecting gives you a feeling of self-assurance. You stop comparing yourself to people on the internet and develop an appreciation for your own abilities and qualities.
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Should I Do a Social Media Detox?
If you spend a lot of time in the world of social media, and you feel it might be affecting your mental health, you might benefit from a social media detox. You will learn to delay gratification, look at life differently, and develop a perhaps forgotten set of skills. My job, however, is not to tell you what to do.
Chances are that you consider social sites to be an integral part of your daily life. What matters is that you remain aware of the implications that come with overindulgence and do not lose sight of the world that lies beyond your screens.