Break Up With Your Social Media

You’re Better Off Without It

We constantly see our favourite influencers preaching for and taking “social media breaks.” Coming from people whose livelihood oftentimes depends on their social media presence, that’s saying something! As your regular everyday girl, I’ve also fallen victim to social media, and that’s without the pressure of having hundreds, thousands, or millions of followers watching and judging my every move.

You see, in this digital era, it’s normal that we’ve all become puppets to social media. They surround us and consume us. They stick their claws into us and hold on for dear life. They install themselves into our daily routine, and slowly, they settle into our lives and become part of who we are. How many of us wake up and fall asleep to our phone screen? I know, it’s hard to admit and even harder to put the phone down, but one thing’s for sure: you’re not alone.

From facing abuse to just "feeling bad about it,” tons of stars like Lizzo, Cardi B, Kanye West, Kendall Jenner, Justin Bieber, and so many more, open up about why they needed to unplug from social media and how great it was for them. Either by temporarily deactivating their accounts, or having their management take over their posts, these celebrities said enough is enough. Cardi B only took a 2-day hiatus in February 2020, but came back to Instagram Stories saying she felt refreshed and ready to keep working.

On the other hand, in January 2020, Lizzo took to Instagram Live to say:

“I just took a DNA test, and it turns out I quit Twitter,” and she hasn’t tweeted since, with her management tweeting promotional content from time to time.

For Kendall Jenner, her famous 2016 Instagram detox lasted one week. During an appearance on Ellen, she revealed,

“I just wanted a little bit of a break. I would wake up in the morning and look at it first thing, I would go to bed and it would be the last thing I looked at. I felt a little too dependent on it so I wanted to take a minute.”

Sound familiar?

I get it, the dependence on social media is hard to overcome. But it’s only a dependence when it’s filling a void. When I finally realized that, I was able to end this toxic, long-term relationship I thought I would never get out of. And it was the best decision of my life.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not preaching to delete all social media and become a hermit - that would be ignorant. What I am saying, though, is that taking a few days or weeks off of social media will force you to clear your mind and enjoy the moment. What’s more, you’ll learn to better appreciate your surroundings, your loved ones, and yourself!

I started feeling wary of social media when I realized it wasn’t making me feel better or less depressed; it was making me feel worse. The isolation, the envy of those perfect lives that we’re all constantly exposed to — I realized that by constantly scrolling, I was self-sabotaging. So, instead of spending hours on these apps, being unproductive, and just waiting for every day to end, I decided to take a few steps back and reevaluate the kind of person I was and wanted to be.

I “broke up with my social media” and invested more of myself into my work, my education, and my real-life relationships. I drove around listening to music and appreciating the loneliness instead of wallowing in it. I read books, did research on things that inspired me, and slowly started remembering the kick-ass gal I truly am (and always was!). Until one day, I hadn’t checked social media at all. I hadn’t even thought about it. When I started spending my free time with friends and family, I saw everything I had missed out on and let go of — real connections, real friendships, real happiness. And that’s irreplaceable.

At first, I would go a few hours without checking social media. And then I forced myself to go 2, 3, 4 days without it. It was hard, I won’t lie. But I felt so alive afterwards, which is what motivated me to keep taking little breaks. Now, every month, I try to schedule a 4-day social media break during my busiest week of the month. Not only does it help me focus on the things that matter, but it also brings me back down to earth. I feel more in touch with myself and nature because when I need a break from work, I go for a walk instead of scrolling through Twitter!

I didn’t even have to delete my social media accounts, I just had to realize that I was so much more alive without them. All I’m saying is that social media only ru(i)ns your life when you let it. Now, you’re probably thinking, “DUH,” but hear me out. Like any addiction, it only grows when you feed it. All you need to do is reduce the time and power you’ve been giving to social media, and you’ll feel so much better!

Trust me, take a break, you’ll thank me later!

So CULTURVERSERS, we got any social media addicts out there? Let us know what's on your mind in the comments.