First, let’s define Social Media Detox. According to Amber Murphy, “A social media detox is a conscious elimination of social media use and consumption for a set period of time. Generally, most social media detoxes are 30 days, but some people do 7 days or even a year-long social media detox. Ideally, you’re completely eliminating social media use and consumption.”
(I’m only going to talk about Facebook in this blog because it’s the social media network where I spend the most time.)
This is something I’ve tried several times. I’ve deactivated my account because I think this is the best way. Because I thought, “I deactivated my account so I don’t need to log in again.” But, after two days, I’m back on Facebook, scrolling.
So, on my own, I took a different approach. This is something you can do to yourself.
First, I reflect.
What are the reasons why I wanted to scroll on Facebook? Why?
The answer is MEMES.
Yeah, I like memes! It makes me happy but I noticed that I am spending so much time reacting “haha” on my friends’ posts.
The second reason:
I have friends who are sharing more memes from time to time. Some are posting about politics and viral videos that are not helpful to my growth. It is not also good for my mental health because it makes me more anxious.
So what I did, I unfollow them. How?
I go to my Friend Lists and one by one I unfollowed them, except those people who share valuable content and I reallly like their posts. It’s either they make me happy or I don’t compare myself to them.
The third reason:
I belong to many groups- buy and sell groups, memes, fan page groups.
I wanted to sell and purchase something, but the posts in my newsfeed were overwhelming. Because I am unable to filter out the posts, I leave them to those groups. I used to be a member of nearly a hundred groups, but now I only have 20, which is more fascinating and allows me to learn new things.
Second step:
When I cut off my spending time for that reason, I can now be inactive for a week. That is an achievement for me!
Back then, I am spending 2-6 hours just scrolling on Facebook but now I just check my notifications and read some updates and questions from my groups in under 10 mins. Whenever I get back to Facebook, I only see healthy posts and updates from my loved ones and I am happy for them.
Note:
Just try to reflect on why you are using Facebook. Is it really important? Is it for personal use or business? Is it really helpful?
Try to weigh things.
Back in 2020, when the pandemic and lockdown began, I attempted social media detox but it only lasts for two days. For me, the social media posts are too toxic. That’s when I realized how much I wanted to be free. I don’t want to read TOO MANY political viewpoints and negative news because it’s unhealthy for my mental health and tiresome! I simply wanted to filter my newsfeed from bad vibes.
After you’ve cleaned up your newsfeed, try to stay off from it for a few days, weeks, and you’ll be able to say, “I’m not interested in hearing from my friends or celebrities. It makes no difference to me.” So now I’m going to share some useful information. Something that my friends may benefit from because I believe that in this “instant,” we should make the most of our time in order to provide great and cheerful content to our friends and readers. Don’t post if I don’t have anything good to say. Easy.
This taught me that social media can be beneficial if we use it for good. If we are mindful of our spending time and focus on our own development, we will not be able to spend more time browsing. I use the social media platform for both work and personal purposes, so I’m making use of the positive aspects while still being aware of the negative aspects.
Good luck with your Social Media Detox!
