We spend our day staring at screens. What? No we don’t.
But hold on, let’s just think about it for a minute. We wake up, get on our phones. We drive to work, using our GPS. We get to work, jump on the computer. We take a break, watch a video. We go home, watch TV.
We’ve all become addicted to screens and technology, but hey, that’s all well and good because technology makes our lives easier.
But what about the technology that doesn’t make our lives easier? The technology that disconnects us from the real world because we’re caught up in the digital world?
This phenomenon I’m talking about is social media. It’s no secret social media has slowly been taking over our lives. Sure, it connects us with one another with constant updates on each other’s lives. But, is that something we really need to be reminded of at every waking moment?
Check out 5 Reasons to Take a Break from Instagram to learn more about the dangers of this popular social media platform on our mental health, self esteem, and general happiness.
If you do want to make efforts to detox and unplug, here are 4 easy ways to wean yourself off social media for a while:
1. Turn off some notifications or put your phone on “do not disturb.” Notifications are the bane of real life person-to-person human connection. Turn off some of your silly notifications for when someone likes your Instagram photo or when someone is on Facebook Live. Or even go one step further and put your phone on “do not disturb” mode. It prevents your phone from lighting up when it’s locked, but will still receive notifications. They’ll be there waiting for you on your lock screen when you check your phone at your convenience. Your alarms and calls (if they call more than once) will still go through. Say goodbye to those annoying little interruptions and focus on the present.
2. Put your social media apps on a separate home page. Migrate some of your most used social media apps, like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc., or apps you don’t want to use on a separate page on your phone. The less you see these little icons, the less inclined you are to open them. And you remember that every time you swipe to the social media page, you are actively making a conscious decision to go out of your way to get on these apps.
3. Download “Moment” or “Break Free” phone usage tracking apps. These apps track how many hours a day you’re using your phone and even send you notifications when you’ve been on your phone for too long. They even take into account you may be commuting or reading. You’d be shocked by how many hours you actually spend staring at your phone. “Moment” even tracks every time you “pick up” your phone and click your home button. I guarantee you it’s an alarming amount. And what’s better, these apps are free to download!
4. Find a different hobby. Redirect your energy and time to focus on something that will actually make you happy. Because, let’s face it, endlessly scrolling and refreshing does not make anyone feel anything but insecure. When you cut that useless time out of your life, you have so much freedom to pick up that book you’ve been meaning to read, journal for a little before bed, or get an extra hour of sleep.
So, you don’t have to. You don’t have to go on social media just because everyone else is on it.
You can’t really take a break from all technology, because, I mean, we’re still living in 2017. But here’s to making an effort to looking at one less screen. Here’s to disconnecting in order to start actually reconnecting.