After viewing the movie The Social Dilemma over a year ago, I thought my life would change. I was so against social media and I claimed to delete everything, thinking it would be so easy. I did end up deleting Snapchat completely for two months, which was great for my screen time. I also deleted instagram but only the app, not my account, so I could still access online. Even though I had such a “passion” for going social media-less, it didn’t exactly stick for long. Even before deleting my snapchat account, I felt awkward asking people for their numbers, some would even reply “why” and when I told them about deleting my account they would answer why again. It didn’t feel worth it. But then again, if they’re truly real friends they wouldn’t judge. So one of the positives is that deleting social media will leave you with less, but more quality friends. It does become lonely which is unfortunate but there are plenty of benefits if you’re currently struggling with time management.
Some of the downsides I experienced:
- FOMO (fear of missing out)
- Loneliness
- “Out of the loop”
Upsides:
- Gain time
- Not addicted anymore
- Overall more positive (social media can be toxic at times)
I currently have snapchat again, and it’s a pretty miserable time but I always give myself the excuse of “what if I meet someone and they ask for my snap”, basically I’m trying to avoid future awkward conversations. But I’ve come to realize that it shouldn’t be like that. So I’ll be doing that again. I’ve set up a ten days without social media challenge for myself. If you would like to join, feel free. There’s no “right” way to do this. But I would recommend picking an app that you spend the most time on, and trying to go without it. For me, that app is snapchat. If you still need that app or account, that’s fine, you can just set a limit per day. In my case, I don’t need the app so I’ll be deleting it completely.
Ways to join:
- Delete an app
- Delete an account
- Keep the app/account but limit use
- Track emotions when using the app/account
- Or you can even watch The Social Dilemma (streaming on Netflix)
Overall, I would just like to spread the message that one should be aware of their screen time use and how it affects them. If it’s a negative relationship, then consider changing something about it.
Thank you :)
