Last June, I took a social media break. It didn’t quite go as planned. I hadn’t realized how many ways I was logged into my Facebook account, and how easy it would be to almost robotically log in to my Instagram. But I was committed to taking a break, and I tried again in July, but a little differently. After all, we have all seen the data on how much time we spend scrolling; so how do I get this time back?
Here is my why and how on taking an effective social media break.
Why Take a Social Media Break?
Sometimes your mood changes based on what you see or read. Have you ever been sucked so far down the rabbit hole that you get so angry or sad when you finally put your phone down? You are not alone. We are constantly inundated with ads, current events, and breaking news and it can be TOO MUCH. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the real-life events that are happening in our world, do yourself a favor and turn off your connection with Tik Tok for a bit.
Everyone thinks they are an expert. The internet has given everyone a microphone, and social media has given us a front seat to everyone’s speech. One of the problems with this is that the information may not always be right. Most of us reading this grew up without the internet in school, so we probably were not taught how to decipher between critical, factual and false information. Taking a social media break will allow you time to refocus on the issues that are important to you and how you want to receive them.
How to Take a Social Media Break
Find your accountability partners. Before taking a break make sure you let your closest friends know and ask them to check in on you—and also let you know if there is a Zombie Apocalypse. If you are feeling really anti-Zuckerberg, you can even give your password to someone you trust, allow them to change it, and then reset it when you are ready to join the social media world again.
Fill your time with something else. Instead of just logging off—lean into something else. For me I decided that during my break, whenever I felt the urge to log on to social media, I would play my ukulele, read a book, or pray. Come up with ideas before you take the plunge into social media solitude to give you something fun to look forward to.
If you are tied to social media for work or other consistent messaging purposes, post an away message so people know that you aren’t ignoring them. I never understood why people would make a post about their breaks from Facebook, but then again most of my Facebook friends are my real-life friends so I would eventually hear from them elsewhere. I know that’s not the case for everyone. If you have a team of people counting on you, a fan base that looks forward to your weekly updates, or a Great Aunt in Indiana who looks forward to your pictures {Hi Aunty Pam!} let them know directly that you will be ‘out of the office.’
The internet, and all of it’s woes, has become a necessary part of our life. But that doesn’t mean we have to let it control us. As a parent, I am sure you can think of many things that you need to do around the house, learning a new hobby, or maybe just getting a good night’s rest. Taking a social media break from the constant barrage of news {real and fake} and constant arguing can help you get there.
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