What Lessons I Learned From My 30 Day Social Media Detox?

There is so much noise coming at you from all over the internet and if you’re like me, it can make you anxious. So you take to Google and search for ways to start a social media detox.

Your news feed then blows up with all these methods to take a break from Instagram and Facebook.

How to survive without social media for one month?
Go on a 30 day social media detox.
Why you need to get off your smartphone at night?

It’s a good idea in theory but do you actually have the balls to do it.

Well, I did. This is an experiment I took on a couple years ago in February 2018. It was the first time I took the plunge and closed down all my social media for a month.

Results From A Social Media Detox

Really, I wanted to see if I could do it. What resulted from this test is I got rid of all my social media, even deleted Facebook, except for one Instagram account that’s just for close friends and family.

Yes, it is possible to survive without having a social media account. When I am on social media too much my anxiety levels spike. There’s the growing case of FOMO and seeing breaking news I didn’t necessarily choose to see.

This February is no different. I’m taking a break from social media again like I do every year. Except this time, I only have one Instagram account to take off my phone for the next 28 days.

It’s funny to think how reliant I am on my social media requiring me to take breaks to regroup.

Social Media Decreases Real Life Conversations

By not having social media I don’t know as much as I used to about people’s lives.

Prior to, I would have a conversation with my mom about an old high school classmate and before she could even tell me anything, I had already seen their news on Facebook.

Now, I’m able to engage in conversations with people and really listen to their excitement or sadness because I actually am clueless as to what’s happening in their lives.

Becoming Less Reliant On Social Media

While I do like to have a friends and family Instagram account, I still get on it more than several times a day. Although there are less people to “check on”, my usage is still higher than I like.

It’s time to take a break for the next month, so I’m not letting social media control my habits and I can say YES to myself more. Each year I’m curious to see what happens when I dive into this world of no social media again.

What will change for me?
How am I able to let the creativity flow?
Spending more quality time with my family.

Conclusion

After taking these social media detoxes each year, I’ve taken stock of what is truly necessary to keep and what accounts I can delete permanently.

Now years later, I’m selective about the people I let into my feed. My followers are small because they are the people I truly connect with on Instagram on a regular basis.

While I believe I could get rid of this account, I don’t let myself get too caught up in other people’s stuff unless I find myself on the explore page or getting lost in the reels. So I’m able to really truly engage with the people I know in real life and enjoy their post about their kids, pets, lives, etc.

Have you ever done a social media detox? What did you learn about yourself?

Original Post Date: January 31, 2020 (Updated February 9, 2023)