Why You Should Try a Social Media Detox

Photo Credit / Yaasmeen Piper Snapchat is one of the most used forms of social media. Photo Credit / Yaasmeen Piper.

Laura Jean Null

Staff Writer

In this upcoming era of technology, we’re told to follow this account, like and share this information.

Humans are being used by corporations to be advertisers that essentially don’t get paid, but spread all their ideologies.

We as a society need to take a step back.

The consumption of information is important, don’t get me wrong or misunderstand me on that.

Understanding what is happening in our world is important to avoid ignorance.

However, we have to step out of this social media norm of always wanting a sense of belonging on this online platform.

Day to day information is pushed at us, whether it’s news, television and movies, buy this product or that.

The screens are controlling us and how we socialize.

We have become that irrational consumer of digital advertisements.

It’s not just the salesman of the web, it’s also the contribution of that 24/7 news.

Again, information is important.

But, the human mind cannot simply intake all the tragic events on the news and listen to it around the clock, while functioning with sanity.

According to Entrepreneur, they reported a study on teenagers in 2017,

“Their daily average time spent on social media is nine hours a day,” which is then compared to the less hours spent in class.

Additionally, there are more hours online than the recommended hours to sleep.

These screens we plant our faces to, and these apps we indulge ourselves in and scroll through, take more of our time and human interactions away. We as a society are forgetting what is important to us.

We take photos of everything, share our opinions on subjects we are not necessarily qualified experts on.

We are turning into social savages.

We look at a certain post and judge ourselves, judge others and have created social media constructs that this is what you need to look like, what you need to wear, what you need to do and how many likes you need to fit in and feel popular.

Social media has everyone trying to be the perfect individual and psyching themselves out, trying to constantly compare to everything and everyone.

We need a break, you need a break from it and I do too.

Social media and the news are too overwhelming.

Society needs a social media detox.

As a community we need to cut the cord, we need to go cold turkey and break our addiction. I propose a challenge.

For one month, delete your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat, whatever your drug technology of choice is. Delete the apps for a month.

Check your mental health from beginning to end.

Ask yourself, did you get more sleep?

Are you focusing and doing better in school and work?

Are you face to face interacting more?

Are you reading more and paying attention more to what’s in front of you literally?

Is your head filled with clarity?

Try it for a bit.

Show yourself you’re not reliant on it.

Then, you can and will eventually use it again, but use it cautiously and in moderation.

Email Laura at:

lnull@live.esu.edu