What I learned on a 7 day social media cleanse
Midwest winters are cold and dark and while I embrace the quiet of hibernation, I recognized that I had fallen into habits that were not in alignment with what I believed and who I wanted to be. I was sucked in to the addiction that is mindless scrolling each night.
I preach endlessly about screen time- because I know of the dangers to the brain, to our sense of self, to the influence and addiction that it creates. Side note- if you don’t think it’s addictive, stay home for a day and don’t look at a single screen.
Here’s what I was noticing:
My scrolling was the epitome of mindless- to the point that I would end an hour long scrolling session and not really remember anything I saw or watched, even when it seemed so poignant or relevant in that moment
I never felt better afterwards. It was empty gratification.
I was absolutely lowering my attention span. I was getting used to needing several things at once to feel satiated.
I wasn’t using anything I saw or learned, just watching.
It kept me out of my own life.
Go figure, while scrolling, I saw an ad for an app created by two Gen Z’ers. I’m not really cool enough to know about the different generations but I do know that Gen Z is the first generation to be fully raised on technology. Where I was reading Judy Blume books, they were playing Roadblocks.
These two brothers apparently noticed what I did, scrolling is essentially a huge waste of time and is designed to lure the reward and pleasure center of the brain. They actually did something about it and designed Be Present, an app to reward the pleasure center of the brain for NOT using your screens and social media. With things like black out periods, setting limits on the number of phone pick ups, and social media limits, it gives you points for meeting your goals, a scoreboard to complete with other users and your daily screen time usage to beat your own records. And guess what, it works.
Here’s what I learned during the first few days of the free trial:
Day 1- I reduced my screen time by 77% (and I kept this up). My brain instantly bought into the system of rewarding myself for not using screens.
Day 2- I was more intentional about when I picked up my phone and how often. I didn’t want to “waste” my allotted time on just anything.
Day 3- I was trying to not only use all of my apps less but I was also trying to be quick with my use. If I need to check or logon to something, I would get done as soon as possible so I would be able to see less time on my daily score.
Day 4- Here’s the big one. I stopped checking social media all together. It had already lost its value. Within the first days, I rarely checked Instagram or Facebook and when I did use my 5 minutes of time to check in, I realized it didn’t add any value. I hadn’t missed anything. I wasn’t interested in what I saw.
Day 5- I was more tuned into my own life and I didn’t want to consume anyone else’s. Instead of checking my emails while I was drinking my morning coffee, I was watching the birds and squirrels out the window. Instead of watching what other’s were doing on Facebook when I first woke up, I was watching the thoughts in my own mind. Even when I had nothing else consuming my mind, social media seemed boring compared to real life.
Day 6- There is still an addictive quality to the phone. I know I can’t pick it up for social media but I still keep picking it up more than I would like. I’ve caught myself in downtime doing silly things like checking the weather app or my emails when I don’t need to. Next step may be keeping the phone out of my immediate area when I’m not working to avoid picking up my phone out of habit.
Day 7- Social media feels empty. I have to logon to post things for work, but I leave as quickly as I begin. When I see even one post, I am reminded why it serves no purpose for me. Sure, there are times when I am bored or it is overly quiet in the house and I think about checking Facebook, because why not. However, my why not is because I remember how I feel when I am on it and I don’t want to feel that way.
My free trial will end soon but I will happily pay the $60 to continue a subscription for the year. I’ve lost the desire to consume and I want it to last. My intent is to use social media for business, to create, and to share, but not to consume or fill voids or time.
When you create your profile, the Be Present app asks you to enter your current screen time usage (go to the settings on your phone and check. It will likely shock you). The app then tells you how many years of your life you have and will spend on your phone. It’s sad.
The average American spends over 7 hours a day on their screens- 23 years of their life and up to 44 years of life for heavy users. Can you even imagine if someone told you they were going to take 23 years of life away from you? Surely we would be outraged, yet everyday, we allow it. We don’t recognize what is at stake and what is being taken from us.
We have this gift we’ve been given in this life. I intend to use it to live, create, explore, reflect, and grow and I can’t do that glued to a 6 inch device. Maybe it’s time we all look up and start living. Trust me, it feels better.