It seems that moaning about social media is all the rage these days, and rightfully so. Social media can really bring out the ugly side in some people, and no one is immune to it. We all have times where we let our phones take over and it can sometimes take other people pointing it out for us to put our devices down and come back into the real world.
Being a 20 year old living in this day and age can really normalise the whole thing so you don't even realise you have a social media addiction in the first place! With everyone else on their phones all the time, it can be difficult to break away from the norm.
Below, I have 5 signs you should check out to see if you need a break from the whole thing.
#1 Immediately checking your phone when you wake up
When you do this, it shows that social media is the last thing on your mind at night, and the first thing on your mind in the morning!
Setting the right foundation for your day starts the moment you open your eyes, and checking social media is doing the opposite of that.
I like to think of it this way; your mind is empty in the morning and it is up to you to fill it with something useful and substantial. If you fill it with other people's opinions and useless tweets, it leaves you with less room for the important decisions that need to be made that morning. Instead, fill your mind with the substantial things like exercise, a podcast, a conversation with your parents or partner.
By checking your social media first thing in the morning, it reflects the kind of day you're going to have. Try putting your phone in a different room when you go to bed so it's much more difficult for you to reach for it in the morning!
#2 You feel anxious being away from your phone
I highly doubt something serious will manifest if you leave your phone somewhere else for longer than an hour! Scrolling through social media apps and refreshing every few minutes is so, for lack of a better word, useless!
Try giving your phone to a friend for the day and if something serious does come about, then they'll tell you! To occupy your time, find more meaningful activities that will make you forget about your phone altogether.
#3 You use social media to procrastinate
It's one thing to be sucked into social media and realising it way later, but it's another thing to knowingly use social media to put off your duties.
Using social media as a crutch can only be a bad thing. Think of all the time you're spending on your phone when you could be doing something more meaningful!
#4 You are experiencing more FOMO than JOMO
In case you don't know, FOMO is the fear of missing out, and JOMO is the joy of missing out. This has to do with social events that your friends post on Instagram or Snapchat, and experiencing more FOMO is so detrimental to your happiness.
Going on social media shouldn't be burdensome - we go on there to keep up with friends and family but when it starts being a toll on your emotional state, something definitely has to change. When I gave myself a Snapchat detox, I felt so much better when I rejoined the app. A break away from these apps can really do your mental health a huge favour if you find that being online is causing more harm than good.
#4 You are experiencing more FOMO than JOMO
In case you don't know, FOMO is the fear of missing out, and JOMO is the joy of missing out. This has to do with social events that your friends post on Instagram or Snapchat, and experiencing more FOMO is so detrimental to your happiness.
Going on social media shouldn't be burdensome - we go on there to keep up with friends and family but when it starts being a toll on your emotional state, something definitely has to change. When I gave myself a Snapchat detox, I felt so much better when I rejoined the app. A break away from these apps can really do your mental health a huge favour if you find that being online is causing more harm than good.
#5 Social media is affecting your real life relationships
How many times have we been with our friends or family at a restaurant, we take a look at who's at the table, and we see that everyone has their heads down scrolling through tweets or perfectly curated feeds? If you've never noticed this, then chances are that you're the person on their phone!
It can be so frustrating when you're trying to get a conversation going but the person you want to talk to isn't interested. It becomes even more annoying when you have to repeat the same sentence a hundred times over, even though they're sitting right across from you!
What I do with my family is this; we place out phones in the middle of the table and whoever reaches for their phone first is the one to pay for everyone's drinks or desserts. It's a great deterrent honestly!
SO WHAT'S THE TAKEAWAY?
You need to realise that the people in your life are important, and the lives you see online are edited. Social media isn't running away any time soon and everything you want to see will still be there when you log back in. Giving yourself a break form social media, be it a day or a week, can really help you focus on what's really critical - the people in your life right now!
It's all fun and well talking about detoxing from social media, but real results come from actions.
If you find that any of these 5 signs relate to you, then I challenge you to go a full 24 hours away from social media! Spend time away from your phone and enjoy what's right in front of you. Don't attach so much meaning on what goes on online and instead divert that meaning to activities offline.
I hope it works out for you!