I’m coming off a month and a half long social media detox and man did it feel great! It felt so good that I didn’t want to return to social media, especially Instagram. The first time I did a social media detox I went off the grid for a year. It was liberating. As much as I wish I could take another year long hiatus, I’ve made a commitment to be a blogger and must continue in my efforts.
What prompted this most recent detox was my declining mental health and need to regroup to determine social media boundaries. Boundaries were hard to establish because I’m so fresh to the “influencer” world and its demands. In short, it was mental fatigue with a side of comparison syndrome. Whenever I feel my mental health declining, I know to ask myself what role social media is playing in my current unhappiness, dissatisfaction, depression, or [insert any other feeling here]. It turns out social media always plays a significant role. And I know I’m not tripping because research supports this. See here, here, and here. Also watch “The Social Dilemma” on Netflix or read “10 Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now.”
It goes without saying that 2020 was a mentally and emotionally exhausting year, but social media further exasperated that exhaustion. As much as social media had become a space for activism and hope, it also became a space filled with anxiety, anger, and fear. From COVID, to police violence, the crumbling of our democracy, and BLM protests, 2020 was A LOT. All of this made social media, especially Instagram, an exhausting space for me. I didn’t realize how much of my energy I was giving every time I logged onto the app.
Then there was the nonstop comparison. The homie Theodore Roosevelt wasn’t lying when he said, “comparison is the thief of joy.” It doesn’t matter how many times we are reminded that social media only displays the highlight reels of a person’s life, we still unconsciously compare ourselves to others. And lets be clear here, comparison isn’t solely about wishing you had the success of others or being envious of them. Comparison on social media is much more subtle. You can be genuinely happy for others who are excelling in their careers and achieving personal milestones but still turn inward and become sad or depressed because you’re not there yet. This was the comparison I kept doing with total strangers on Instagram! It led me straight to a social media timeout.
Social media sells unreasonable beauty standards and social status. It forces many to think they have to keep up with a certain lifestyle and/or image. You must continuously remind yourself that you’re only seeing the highlight reels of everyone’s life. It didn’t matter how many blessings fell on my lap, I barely acknowledged them because I was too busy seeing what lifestyles other folks were living. My inner critic was hard at work questioning why I haven’t achieved X amount of success yet.
This past month being off social media has forced me to reflect a lot. I’ve had to ask myself what do I want out of this blogger lifestyle? How much am I willing to sacrifice to achieve those goals? How can I be more cognizant of the energy I’m exerting on social media while still protecting my inner peace? And finally, is social media even worth the mental anguish I subject myself to? I don’t have all the answers, but I do know one thing: my social media detoxes will be a normal practice of self-care. It may not be feasible to take a year off like in the past, but I’ll definitely take a few days, weeks, or a month off whenever I feel it necessary.
I encourage everyone to check in with themselves. Ask yourself how social media is affecting your mental health. Ask yourself if that little voice in your head is busy comparing and robbing you of your joy. Do a social media detox. Your friends, family, and brand partnerships aren’t going anywhere, they will still be there when you log back on. Your mental health is too valuable an asset to risk.
Questions? Thoughts? Do you relate? Drop you’re your questions/thoughts in the comment section below – lets chat!
Beautiful post! I can relate entirely to this because using social media to run a business leaves very little time to take breaks unless i’m physically on vacation and even then, I catch myself sneaking at the DMs. However, the impact of 2020 demands this for the sake of my mental.
Thank you! It is definitely difficult to figure out how to take breaks when social media is key in running a business. I think we must establish healthy boundaries so to protect our mental health. For me, that looks setting time limits for scrolling, taking a day out of the week completely off, and being hyper conscious with my scrolling. I pray you find solutions and establish healthy boundaries, your mental health is of upmost importance! Sending blessings your way, XOXO.