Reflecting on My 6-Month Social Media Break
By Katy Z.
I embarked on my social media break with the goal of determining how social media impacts the way I think and act. Six months and three failed hobbies later, I reflected on the impact this break has had on me and realized that it all connected back to one theme: solitude. Often the word “solitude” has a negative connotation that brings to mind a secluded hut in the deep forest or being trapped in a jail cell. While most of the time people think of solitude in terms of being physically isolated from a community of people, I’ve come to understand it more as an isolation of the mind.
In The Republic of Noise Diana Senechal writes: “The cellphone relieves us of the obligation to face those around us, but also prevents us from being by ourselves.” Through my break I’ve experienced the value of being by myself without notifications and news constantly filling up my mind. Previously, even while I was physically alone I was constantly thinking about the messages I received from friends, the latest online drama, or a funny video I saw on TikTok. I was caught up in the rush of the online world, always feeling like I needed to follow the trends and stay up to date. I seldom left time for myself to think without the opinion of others influencing my ideas, and in turn I lacked originality and true curiosity. While the noise of social media is not all bad, I’ve found that it takes away from my peace of mind. During my break away from the bustle of the online world I enjoyed a quieter and slower way of being; one that is not constantly preoccupied with other people and thoughts that distract me from being in the present.
While I don’t want to seem too pessimistic about social media and I acknowledge that it is a useful tool for many people, I find myself incapable of complimenting these platforms for providing me anything positive. If this break has done anything it has made me more critical of social media and its effects on users, especially youth. These apps have made me crave constant mental stimulation whether I am waiting in line at the doctor’s office, eating lunch, or on the airplane. Social media has shortened my attention span so that I find it hard to read a book for more than 20 minutes and am constantly multitasking. The dependency on instagram comments and occasional DMs to connect me to old friends and casual acquaintances have prevented me from forming deeper connections in real life. The constant pressure of maintaining this online persona is both addicting and draining, and social media etiquette and “brain rot” vocabulary are exhausting to keep up with. What I did not understand when I was actively on social media has become clear to me now and it is this: you don’t need social media. I was always confident that social media is the way I stay connected to the world, that if I deleted it I would be living under a rock. However, these past 6 months have proved that that is far from the truth.
After 6 months off of social media, I did choose to rejoin Instagram. However, this break has changed the way I choose to engage with social media and encouraged me to approach it with the mindset of utilizing it as a powerful tool instead of depending on it to feel connected and entertained. If you are reading this I urge you to take a step back and really consider how social media affects your life. Although it might just seem like an app on your phone, it could, and probably does, have a deeper impact. While we push social media companies to protect youth on their platforms, I think it is equally important that we learn how to protect ourselves and know when to take a step back from something that is harming our well-being. If you hate the way Instagram or Snapchat or any other app is making you feel, delete it. It is that simple. Take control of your own usage and take control of how you want to feel.
About the author:
Katy (she/her) is a high school teen who is passionate about youth mental health. Katy believes that when used suitably, social media brings positive things to the lives of youth by providing platforms for connection. Outside of #GoodForMedia, Katy enjoys playing tennis, hiking, and collecting Jellycats.