You might remember in last week's post that I briefly mentioned a social media cleanse I was going to do this past week. The idea developed for a few reasons--the first being I had a ton of school work to catch up on/I had my hardest test of the semester this week, and the second was that I am on my phone WAY. TOO. MUCH.
I know that's such a stereotypical thing to say, but over Spring Break, I found my phone-time was taking away from my friends-and-family-time. Several times during our Spring Break trip, someone would suggest we put our phones completely away during that meal. Yes, it was kind of unnatural and awkward at first, but I think we enjoyed ourselves more during those times. We got to truly appreciate each other's company without being virtually interrupted.
Anyway, back to why I failed...I truly only did the cleanse for about 5.5 days. And, I got on Instagram on someone else's phone halfway through the week. The reason why it ended early is somewhat justifiable in my opinion...I studied ALL weekend for a test I had this past Monday. And I was going crazy just sitting alone with my chemistry book. So, obviously Instagram was a needed companion (have I mentioned I'm dramatic?).
I thought that cutting out social media would allow me to have more time for things I enjoyed, such as reading, but it really didn't. I think this can somewhat be attributed to the fact that I was playing academic catch-up during post-SB week. So, I do want to try this again sometime and see what happens!
I have a few thoughts on social media--and one huge thing to keep in mind is that everything is OK in moderation. But, at least for me, my time spent liking photos has way surpassed moderation.
1. Leads to Comparison
How many times have you scrolled through Instagram on a Sunday night, looking at all the "really great things" that happened during that "really fun weekend" and everyone just has "the best lives!" For real. We've all done it. And it causes us to look back on our own lives and pick out all the terrible things. It is all an illusion!!! For that one photo, how many arguments, stressful situations, and exhaustion were also included in that day? I know it sounds cliche, but social outlets only show the highlights.
2. FOMO
FOMO caused me to have a ton of insecurities through all of middle school/early high school. I would be at home by myself on a Friday night and see a Snapchat of my friends all at a movie together. Then, I would start questioning why I wasn't there, and it led to a ton of insecurity and mainly loneliness.
I don't mean to be a downer in all of this, these are just some thoughts I had when I had time to reflect in the "quiet". I love how social media is used as a creative outlet--it allows people to share their lives through their personal lens. I also think that this cleanse would have been a lot easier to do alongside a friend. When you're sitting at a social gathering and everyone's on their phones, it's kind of awkward to give the "I'm taking a break right now" response. So, do it with a friend-makes it less awkward and makes you more accountable!
Reflecting on this cleanse, I know I definitely could have done a better job. But, I'm going to try to restrict my time over the next few weeks. There's a setting on your phone where you can see how much time you've spent using it that day. For the next few weeks, I"m going to try to limit that time to one hour per day, and hopefully limit the time every week.
Do the positive effects of social media outweighs the negative? Let me know below!!
Reflecting on this cleanse, I know I definitely could have done a better job. But, I'm going to try to restrict my time over the next few weeks. There's a setting on your phone where you can see how much time you've spent using it that day. For the next few weeks, I"m going to try to limit that time to one hour per day, and hopefully limit the time every week.
Do the positive effects of social media outweighs the negative? Let me know below!!
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