The feeling of a buzz in your pocket notifying you about a new post from a friend, a message on Instagram, a “like” on a photo, or even your aunt sending you a Candy Crush request all bring a certain level of joy—a quick hit of dopamine, a little bite of connection. We humans are social creatures. We’re biologically driven to connect with each other and our social bonds are vital to our human experience.
Social media can be a great conduit for keeping in touch with friends, learning about the world and its people, and feeling connected. But what happens when having too much access to each other backfires? What happens when that fear of missing out that keeps us returning online to check on our peers turns into doomscrolling for hours and feeling more and more disconnected?
Social media can be addictive and, like a lot of addictions, “using” it can be a way to fill an inner void, ease pain, or distract yourself and numb your emotions. Over the last few years, studies have shown that there’s a strong link between heavy social media use and an increased risk for depression, anxiety, and loneliness.
So what can we do when the thing that is meant to keep us connected with each other turns into the thing that makes us feel alone and misunderstood? We take a break—a “social media detox.”
How can you tell if it’s time to put your phone away and log off of the apps?
- When your feed starts to make you feel inadequate about your life and its appearance
- When you are prioritizing online interactions over “real world” relationships
- When you find yourself going to sleep staring at a screen and waking up just to check what you’ve missed in the last eight hours
- When you simply want to have less screen time during the day!
A social media detox doesn’t have to be drastic—and you don’t need to go cold turkey. The goal of a detox is to show you that it’s still possible to connect with your world in a different way. So how do you do it?
- Disable your notifications.
- Turn your phone off when you can.
- Don’t bring your phone to bed with you.
- Change your focus!
If the goal is connection—say hi to that stranger at the coffee shop, tell someone (in person!) that you love their sweater, or call a friend to catch up or laugh about the memes you sent them. Take one step each day toward building that web of connection that we all need and crave.
Social media can be a tool that you use—don’t let it use you.