What Is Social Media Detox And How To Implement It
What Is Social Media Detox And How To Implement It?
Social Media is a magical place, and believe me, I really mean it, and if you're anything like me, I am sure you'll agree. Social Media is like the whole world packed in a six-inch screen. Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, Quora, WhatsApp, YouTube, Blogs, and so many more applications that keep us connected. You and I are also connecting through a social platform. Social media has lessened global boundaries and has opened up a world full of possibilities. I write a blog in an Indian city, and it gets read in America and Europe and Russia. My readers are scattered everywhere across the world and it takes me and them just a few seconds to get connected.
Not just professional life, social media has changed the dynamics of personal relationships too. Now one doesn't need to wait for days to send or get a letter from their loved ones, thanks to instant texting. Missing someone special? Say hello to the video calling application. Social Media, is truly a blessing. From providing a business platform to better connectivity in interpersonal relationships, social media has changed our lives from scratch.
But every coin has two sides, and just like it, social media comes with an evil face too. Spending most of the time on your phone, counting the number of likes, sending follow requests, counting followers count, liking the pictures of 'friends' and secretly envying their life, looking for online validation, posting fabricated statues and stories and pictures, checking the phone every few minutes as soon as a random notification pops up. Isn't this all of us? Aren't we all glued to our phones and computers most of the time now?
'Hey, let's watch that movie.' to 'You should totally check out this funny video dude.', we all have been there, not just once, twice or thrice, but many, many times. Many times, even I have cribbed about not getting enough 'views' or 'likes' on my articles.
We all have done these things. Haven't you met someone who looked totally different in their display pictures from their real looks?
Not just professional life, social media has changed the dynamics of personal relationships too. Now one doesn't need to wait for days to send or get a letter from their loved ones, thanks to instant texting. Missing someone special? Say hello to the video calling application. Social Media, is truly a blessing. From providing a business platform to better connectivity in interpersonal relationships, social media has changed our lives from scratch.
But every coin has two sides, and just like it, social media comes with an evil face too. Spending most of the time on your phone, counting the number of likes, sending follow requests, counting followers count, liking the pictures of 'friends' and secretly envying their life, looking for online validation, posting fabricated statues and stories and pictures, checking the phone every few minutes as soon as a random notification pops up. Isn't this all of us? Aren't we all glued to our phones and computers most of the time now?
'Hey, let's watch that movie.' to 'You should totally check out this funny video dude.', we all have been there, not just once, twice or thrice, but many, many times. Many times, even I have cribbed about not getting enough 'views' or 'likes' on my articles.
We all have done these things. Haven't you met someone who looked totally different in their display pictures from their real looks?
Isn't social media taking our reality away?
But is all of it harmful? When does one really need to get off social media? What are the red signs that should tell you that you're overusing the blessing and converting it into a curse? And what exactly is social media detox? How long of a break should you be taking from social media?
When Do You Need A Social Media Detox?
But is all of it harmful? When does one really need to get off social media? What are the red signs that should tell you that you're overusing the blessing and converting it into a curse? And what exactly is social media detox? How long of a break should you be taking from social media?
When Do You Need A Social Media Detox?
You might think that you're overusing your social profiles, might even be getting obsessed with it, but how do you really feel it is time to say a little farewell to your virtual reality?
Well here are my personal three signs that let me know when I need to go on 'social media detoxification':
1. Anxiety: The first sign which tells me that I should go off social media for a few days is anxiety; that means when I start getting restless, all worked up, feel the need to check my phone every few minutes, constantly feel that I am missing out on something by being offline, and it is then I realize that social media is beginning to control my mind way more than it should, and to gain back that control, I log out all of my social media for the time being.
It depends. Some articles will tell you to do it for a few days, some will tell you to do it for a week, and some will tell you to do it for one month straight. However, I personally feel that social media detoxification is a very subjective area, and the person who is going to do it should decide for themselves the time period they are going to be offline. Not only that, but a person must also decide whether they are just going to be off social media, or they're going to completely shut down their whole technology system and bring a complete change in their lifestyle. Also, before making these decisions, one should also consider their work life.
All said and done, you can give a try to this step by step strategy:
First Step: The 3 day off baby cry- Here, you need to log out of your social media apps, turn off your phone or/and computer, and keep them somewhere out of your easy reach. Like a locked closet. Also, make sure you let everyone who matters know that you're going to be off-hook so they don't get worried.
Second Step: The 7-day teenager whim- Now here, if you decide to continue your detoxification, you can turn on your phone, however, you can ONLY use it for making/receiving very important calls. Nothing more. In this period, because you're using your phone again, you can very easily find yourself back on social media, so it would be better to delete all such applications from your phone for at least that week.
Third Step- The 30-day adult crush- Yeah, just like the name, after you have decided that you want to continue your offline journey after the seven days, you'll find it comparatively easy because you started the challenge in a planned and phased way, slowly getting into the life that does not have social media.
Social Media Detox Benefits
You might ask yourself, why should I listen to her? What will I get from social media detox? If I like social media, why should I leave it?
Well here are a few benefits of social media detox, if not for anything else, these benefits might lure you:
1. Free Time and Energy: When you're not 'wasting' your time liking pictures of people you met ten years back when you're not too busy responding to texts from people you have never met in real life, you end up saving a lot of time and energy that you can invest in productive habits.
2. Renewed Lifestyle: When you start investing time in old hobbies or taking up new interests, like reading, writing, gardening, socializing with people in real life, taking dancing, or driving lessons, you start feeling a positive change in your lifestyle and personality.
3. Enhanced Physical and Mental Health: Due to less screen time, less stress on mind and eyes, more exercises, more healthy eating, and sleeping habits, and the decluttering of mind, social media detox will improve your health.
Social Media Detox Applications
Sometimes, we all need some help to take the difficult steps.
Well worry not, because here is an extensive list of social media detox applications for you all that will help you in keeping a track of your social media usage:
Well here are my personal three signs that let me know when I need to go on 'social media detoxification':
1. Anxiety: The first sign which tells me that I should go off social media for a few days is anxiety; that means when I start getting restless, all worked up, feel the need to check my phone every few minutes, constantly feel that I am missing out on something by being offline, and it is then I realize that social media is beginning to control my mind way more than it should, and to gain back that control, I log out all of my social media for the time being.
2. Cluelessness: The second sign is being clueless. When I have to think hard what should I do if not text on Instagram or read an answer on Quora, the red alarm goes off and rings very loudly in my mind, telling me that I am losing focus in my real life.
3. Addicted: Now this is a tell away sign. Plain, clear, and loud. If I find myself glued to my phone for a lot of hours constantly, that's when it occurs to me, its time to change the habit.
3. Addicted: Now this is a tell away sign. Plain, clear, and loud. If I find myself glued to my phone for a lot of hours constantly, that's when it occurs to me, its time to change the habit.
What Is Social Media Detox? 
When you find yourself stuck on your gadgets for a long period, when most of your time of the day goes in texting, liking, when you use your thumb mostly for scrolling on the screen of your phone, when you're stressed about your online social media life, when everything or most of the things that you do goes online for your peers to 'rate', when you start using your profile for public validation, when your day ends and begins with checking your notifications, when you cannot imagine a good day without your phone, computer, social media accounts, or internet, when your academics, work, health and personal life goes downhill because you're always distracted by your phone and notifications, then the thing you need to do is called social media detoxification.
Basically, it's just taking a break from all of it. Everything. A complete break where you avoid social media, possibly taking a break from the phone too, deleting social media applications, logging out, basically going offline in all ways. Social media detox simply stands for cleaning all the toxics that social media overuse has created on a person's physical, mental, and emotional health.
Why Social Media Detox Is Necessary?
Remember that time when your doctor told you to stay away from all the oily, fried, packed food to enhance your health? Remember the time when your dentist told you to stop consuming sweets and chocolates because sugar had caused cavities in your teeth?
Excess of everything is bad, and more than anything, it's unhealthy. Somethings are not good for our body, and then there are things which harm our mind, our emotions, our mental peace, and total well being. In this day and age, it's not hidden how people around the globe are obsessed with their online social life. From what they do to where they go to what they eat and with who they spend their time with, people talk and post online about almost everything now. From the latest web series to the viral trending videos, we are all caged up inside our technical gadgets more or less. And when this social media relationship gets obsessive, when our online habits start affecting not only our own well being but also our actual life and real relationships or messes with our other goals, it is then it becomes absolutely necessary to take a break from social media and go on a holiday.
When you find yourself stuck on your gadgets for a long period, when most of your time of the day goes in texting, liking, when you use your thumb mostly for scrolling on the screen of your phone, when you're stressed about your online social media life, when everything or most of the things that you do goes online for your peers to 'rate', when you start using your profile for public validation, when your day ends and begins with checking your notifications, when you cannot imagine a good day without your phone, computer, social media accounts, or internet, when your academics, work, health and personal life goes downhill because you're always distracted by your phone and notifications, then the thing you need to do is called social media detoxification.
Basically, it's just taking a break from all of it. Everything. A complete break where you avoid social media, possibly taking a break from the phone too, deleting social media applications, logging out, basically going offline in all ways. Social media detox simply stands for cleaning all the toxics that social media overuse has created on a person's physical, mental, and emotional health.
Why Social Media Detox Is Necessary?
Remember that time when your doctor told you to stay away from all the oily, fried, packed food to enhance your health? Remember the time when your dentist told you to stop consuming sweets and chocolates because sugar had caused cavities in your teeth?
Excess of everything is bad, and more than anything, it's unhealthy. Somethings are not good for our body, and then there are things which harm our mind, our emotions, our mental peace, and total well being. In this day and age, it's not hidden how people around the globe are obsessed with their online social life. From what they do to where they go to what they eat and with who they spend their time with, people talk and post online about almost everything now. From the latest web series to the viral trending videos, we are all caged up inside our technical gadgets more or less. And when this social media relationship gets obsessive, when our online habits start affecting not only our own well being but also our actual life and real relationships or messes with our other goals, it is then it becomes absolutely necessary to take a break from social media and go on a holiday.
How Long Should You Go For Social Media Detox?
It depends. Some articles will tell you to do it for a few days, some will tell you to do it for a week, and some will tell you to do it for one month straight. However, I personally feel that social media detoxification is a very subjective area, and the person who is going to do it should decide for themselves the time period they are going to be offline. Not only that, but a person must also decide whether they are just going to be off social media, or they're going to completely shut down their whole technology system and bring a complete change in their lifestyle. Also, before making these decisions, one should also consider their work life.
All said and done, you can give a try to this step by step strategy:
First Step: The 3 day off baby cry- Here, you need to log out of your social media apps, turn off your phone or/and computer, and keep them somewhere out of your easy reach. Like a locked closet. Also, make sure you let everyone who matters know that you're going to be off-hook so they don't get worried.
Second Step: The 7-day teenager whim- Now here, if you decide to continue your detoxification, you can turn on your phone, however, you can ONLY use it for making/receiving very important calls. Nothing more. In this period, because you're using your phone again, you can very easily find yourself back on social media, so it would be better to delete all such applications from your phone for at least that week.
Third Step- The 30-day adult crush- Yeah, just like the name, after you have decided that you want to continue your offline journey after the seven days, you'll find it comparatively easy because you started the challenge in a planned and phased way, slowly getting into the life that does not have social media.
Social Media Detox Benefits
You might ask yourself, why should I listen to her? What will I get from social media detox? If I like social media, why should I leave it?
Well here are a few benefits of social media detox, if not for anything else, these benefits might lure you:
1. Free Time and Energy: When you're not 'wasting' your time liking pictures of people you met ten years back when you're not too busy responding to texts from people you have never met in real life, you end up saving a lot of time and energy that you can invest in productive habits.
2. Renewed Lifestyle: When you start investing time in old hobbies or taking up new interests, like reading, writing, gardening, socializing with people in real life, taking dancing, or driving lessons, you start feeling a positive change in your lifestyle and personality.
3. Enhanced Physical and Mental Health: Due to less screen time, less stress on mind and eyes, more exercises, more healthy eating, and sleeping habits, and the decluttering of mind, social media detox will improve your health.
Social Media Detox Applications
Sometimes, we all need some help to take the difficult steps.
Well worry not, because here is an extensive list of social media detox applications for you all that will help you in keeping a track of your social media usage:
- Flipd
- Moment
- ClearLock
- Forest
- ShutApp
- App Detox
- OffTime
- QualityTime
- Channel
- Yukan
Final Verdict
Phones, social media, applications, followers, views, likes, hearts, upvotes, validation, stress, competition, challenges, fast-moving world, viral news, trending statements, hashtags, texting, and a million more stuff.
It's all cool. Really, it is. Even I love all these things, but only when I do not become enslaved to technology.
Reading a paper book is still very special to me than an E-book. Sitting under a tree on a beautiful sunny day and doing meditation still brings peace. Writing a journal in a diary, or a poem sometimes still feels like a long lost friend.
Social media is necessary, but so is real life.
We must always keep a balance between our virtual and our real life.
Life is not on the screen.
Life is beyond that. Life has so much more to offer. So go and experience your actual real life.
It's all cool. Really, it is. Even I love all these things, but only when I do not become enslaved to technology.
Reading a paper book is still very special to me than an E-book. Sitting under a tree on a beautiful sunny day and doing meditation still brings peace. Writing a journal in a diary, or a poem sometimes still feels like a long lost friend.
Social media is necessary, but so is real life.
We must always keep a balance between our virtual and our real life.
Life is not on the screen.
Life is beyond that. Life has so much more to offer. So go and experience your actual real life.
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