I am going to be perfectly honest, I am running off of absolutely zero energy right now. I have been busy all weekend and am finally getting the rest I need. However, I realized one large component of my life this weekend which always negatively affected my health: social media.

It should be no surprise that Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook and any other social media in use is harmful to your mental health. Mindless scrolling has dangerous effects, along with the fake imagery projected onto screens related to the “glamorous” lives other people post. 

To be completely transparent, I have never enjoyed social media. In fact, I have deleted and made multiple accounts within the last five years. This time, my final plan is to not redownload social media until I need it for professional networking purposes. 

There was an immediate weight lifted off of my shoulders as soon as I realized I no longer would be active on my accounts. They still exist in case one day I need them, but even when offloaded, I found myself checking story after story. Now this is not all bad as occasionally I was inspired by a person’s artwork which was shared on respective platforms. 

My screen time has cut in half since deleting social media. I found myself reading literature, meditating and organizing my Google Drive with the new time which seemed to suddenly appear in my life. I am also able to take more time to genuinely connect with the people in my life as life online is emotionally limiting. 

I cringe looking back at my 10-year-old self who downloaded Instagram because I thought other students would think I was more of a cool person because of it. Wasting hours discovering what everyone else is doing all the time is a facet of life I will not miss. 

Deleting your social media could increase your mindfulness and result in more balance in your life. The more time you have, the more time you can focus on who you want to be as a person. Self-transformation could slowly occur when purposeful and meaningful effort is put into self-reflection or working to be a better person. Self-help books are not the only way to become a more confident person. 

Although staying connected seems like an easier route, talking through texting or calling can become a less stressful alternative to commenting or Snapchat’s messaging system. I would recommend using discretion with strangers, and if Snapchat is a must in your life, give them your code or username instead of your phone number. 

There is a sense of privacy given when you have no social media. You don’t feel the pressure to document when you’re with friends, the food you’re eating, or a special occasion. I think keeping photographs in a tight knit circle is possibly the best kind of gatekeeping in 2022. 

Reduce the stress in your life and delete social media off of your digital devices for as long as you want too. A social media cleanse is just as good as deleting it altogether. Perform a social experiment and see if you automatically go to tap where the application was on your phone. It is great to see the improvements which can happen after such a sudden shift in your life. 

Still be sure to take care of yourself and allow yourself to delve into the drama when you need to.