First, this is not your typical social media bashing. Social media has, after all, changed our lives—the way we connect, stay entertained and even do business. Who needs a shop when you can post your items and reach countless people? Basically, it’s super cool! So why did I decide it was time to take a break?
Well, it was personal sha. The major problem I had was that it was very addictive. I would complain about how I didn’t have enough hours in the day to work but then my screen time would be over 7hours, and all of them would be on Instagram, Twitter and others. You are probably familiar with this issue. In fact, maybe you are wondering how you can spend all that time or thinking about the effect of the projected perfection from people on your mental health. I’m here to tell you that if you think you need a break from social media, then by all means, take that break. Here are a few things I learned after I took time off.
The constant sales
Instagram made me want things I do not need. Instagram is constantly pushing businesses and products in our faces and the hard part of it is that based on your browsing history, Instagram will show you products you googled. When I returned to Instagram after several weeks away, I realized how the products I saw daily made me feel needy, made me want to buy things I don’t need and when there are things you can’t afford you become sad.
It’s hyper filtered
The world of Instagram and Snapchat is so different from reality. One must remember that we all post our best moments, best clothes, food, our happy days and more on those platforms but the truth is that real life is not happiness and glam every day. I was less angry. Majority of my anger came from Twitter. You scroll through twitter and sure there’ll be someone else’s opinion that will rile you up. It doesn’t matter if you cleanse your timeline, one of your friends will like and RT to your page.
Less fear
I was less afraid. The thing is we are not wired to receive constant news like we do through social media. We hear of calamities and disasters going on all over the world. There are journalists and government officials on Twitter, all of these people’s opinions or their insider information becomes news for the rest of us. Staying away from constant news helped me to refocus on the world around me
More productive
I also found time to do the things I have been postponing. I read a lot, I took care of my hair, did my manicure and pedicure, and so much more. You’d be surprised at how much you could do with the hours you spend scrolling and refreshing different apps
I am not advising that we should all abandon social media, no, it has its many advantages and as with everything moderation is key. Take a break and smell the flowers.