Social media is one of the most controversial topics in today’s modern world. Some people argue that apps like Instagram and TikTok are poisonous and harming our minds. Others argue that these apps help people connect with the world.
It doesn’t matter what you think of social media, the truth is that it is here to stay. Platforms like YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok are going to be a major part of our future.
I am not here to argue the merit of any of these platforms. I believe — like anything — there are many pro’s and con’s.
In my own life, I noticed that I have been seeing more con’s related to social media. I felt that I was distracted and unable to focus on my work. I was always refreshing Twitter, watching YouTube, or updating Instagram.
Because I felt so distracted lately, I decided that a change was necessary. So, for seven days I quit social media. I didn’t check Twitter, didn’t scroll TikTok, didn’t watch YouTube, or refresh Instagram. To be clear, I didn’t go completely off the grid. I still posted on these platforms, allowed myself to listen to podcasts and music, and watched a couple of sporting events on T.V.
But for the first time in a long time, I was completely off social media for a whole week.
Here are five things I learned from my social media-free week:
Humans need screen-free time
Just based on how the world is designed today, it is hard to get a significant chuck of time away from screens. Everything seems to be online. But — at least in my own life — I have found that my thoughts are just way too cluttered when I spend too much time looking at a screen.
Recently, I have been going to the gym and playing basketball. This has been a very enjoyable task for me. I get to spend some time away from the outside world where I can direct all of my focus towards the present moment.
This time is what author Ryan Holiday would call “stillness.” It is the moments where we are free of distractions and able to be in the moment. When screens are constantly interrupting whatever we are doing, it is almost impossible to find this stillness.
Humans need screen free time because it is so hard to be focused and productive with so many distractions looming. Sometimes you just need to put the phone down and go for a walk. Sometimes you need to turn off the T.V and read a book. Sometimes you need to power down the computer and spend time with family.
During this seven-day stretch, I learned that my life is much better when I am not always nose down in some sort of screen.
Limits are necessary
While I did enjoy the challenge of quitting social media for seven days, I don’t feel that it is necessary that I quit social media forever.
However, what is necessary is that I set some sort of limits or restrictions for myself when it comes to social media use.
Whether that be a certain time allotment, or certain apps that I can use at certain points in the day, I do think that it is very important to put limits on social media use. If you are limitless in your use of social media, then it is going to be very difficult to get any meaningful work done.
The pull of social media is very strong, and it almost never loses.
To combat the urge to constantly refresh our feed, we set limits. This way we know when we can use social media and when we can’t.
The in-between time can be wonderful
Tell me if this is a familiar scenario: You are waiting in line somewhere and as soon as the line stops moving, you pull out your phone and go on social media. I know that I have done this countless times. In the modern world, cell phone use in lines has become ubiquitous.
It isn’t just phone use in lines, though. It is phone and social media use in what I will call the “in-between time.” The in between time could be waiting in a line, a lull in a conversation, stopping at a red light, or waiting for a friend to get ready. In between time is pretty much anytime where you are waiting for something to happen.
Most of the time, this in-between time is dominated by social media. It seems as if we are all just waiting for an opportunity to yank our phones out of our pockets and start scrolling.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. And frankly, the in-between time can be quite enjoyable when it isn’t this way.
If you are able to break the habit of scrolling social media at every in-between point, you will find that these moments can be wonderful.
And they are wonderful simply because they force you to be present in the moment. There is nowhere else for your brain to go besides the present moment.
During this challenge, my in-between moments went from time that was predominantly used for mindless scrolling, to time used for mindfulness.
Social media isn’t all bad
Social media gets a bad rap. Some of it is deserved. But a lot of it isn’t. Yes, all of our favorite social media apps are purposely designed to be addictive. Yes, some pretty terrible things can come out of these apps.
But if you look at it with a positive perspective, you can see that social media is a pretty incredible tool that allows us to connect with the world in a way that was previously impossible.
While I definitely think that a lot of people spend too much time on these social platforms, it is hard to deny the fact that it does have some upsides.
Prior to this seven-day challenge, I thought that the world would be a better place without social media. But now, my perspective has shifted a bit. I now realize the benefits that social media brings to the table. It allows family and friends to easily stay in touch, can be an effective source for news, and has positively changed marketing.
You must self-examine
This is the most important takeaway from these past seven days. After all, everybody is different. And while I don’t find spending a lot of time on social media to be a productive use of my time, this might not be true for somebody else.
This is why everyone must take a deep look at their own social media use. It is all about absorbing the positives from social media and discarding the negatives. You don’t get to this point without some serious self-examination.
Take a deep look at your social media use and be honest with yourself. How do you feel after using social media? Do you use it too much? Too little? These are the important questions you must ask.
My biggest takeaway
I never considered myself to be a heavy user of social media. Sure, I checked my feeds every once in a while, but most of the platforms I use are for business purposes.
But even though most of my time on social media was spent for “work,” I still found that a significant part of my day was dedicated towards mindless scrolling or watching. Of course, I didn’t like this.
During these last seven days, my mindless scrolling or watching went from way too high to nonexistent.
And here is what I noticed: Even though a lot of my time was dedicated to social media, when it was gone, I didn’t miss it at all.
Maybe it is because I quit social media for only seven days. Maybe I would have started to miss it after two weeks.
But I am not so certain this would be the case.
If you were to quit social media for a period of time, I am guessing that you will find out something similar.
Which makes me ask: What are we all doing this for? Why are we spending so much time on social media, if when it is gone, we don’t miss it at all?
My hypothesis is that we don’t even realize it. So much of what we do online is mindless.
To me, this conclusion is a scary one.
The whole point of social media is to use it as a tool. Not to let it use you, serving as a major distraction.
Keep this in mind the next time you pick up your phone and scroll through your favorite apps.