Having read too many pieces about social media addiction, I was ready for a break. Every time I reached for my phone, I had a Pavlovian instinct to click on the Instagram icon and that's when I knew it was time.
So I did it — I waved a little sayonara to "the socials" and with the exception of some client check-ins, I was off Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
The first 2 days I had to remind myself to break the habit of hitting the Instagram icon, but after that, I became accustomed and the month that followed was eye opening and life changing in that it delivered the following positive benefits for me:
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Given all of this, I am not rushing out the door to buy the new $1500 Motorola Razr that could be making a comeback nor am I quitting social media. In fact, I am back to checking in and posting but my frequency is significantly down. For the curious, I don't really scroll anymore. I open up to check in on work accounts, check in on close friends or influencers I love and check on messages.
I am on social media about a total of 10 minutes per day across platforms because I do find some benefit and entertainment to it. But, if you are looking to cultivate new genuine relationships, be more productive or simply reorganize your priorities, I encourage you to minimize your screen time and scrolling.
WRITTEN BY
Elisette Carlson