Social Media Detox Day

Yesterday I took a social media detox day. It may sound dramatic but I use various social media channels every day for work and personal use. I was beginning to get that feeling you get when you’ve eaten too much hard food, and the taste that was at first sweet and comforting, turns to a heavy, tiring feeling.

My phone had become an extension of my arm and the constant notification sounds, flashing lights and vibrations had become addictive. I feared my happiness, sadness, anger, compassion were being dictated by an algorithm. Real, heart-felt interactions were being replaced by miscommunications and misunderstandings.

Like a true addict, I felt a pang of dread when it came time to unplug. Turning off notifications and removing app shortcuts from my home screen, I questioned, ‘what would I miss? How would I tell people about the most insignificant parts of my day?’

After a long and cathartic yoga practice, I went old-school and turned to paper and pen. Flipping through my journal, I noticed that the last time I had done a social media detox was almost a year ago. I vaguely remember the woman that scribbled down her fears, goals and musings last year, as I sat and poured out a new set of fears, goals and musings.

Social media is by no means the root of all evil but having time, even just 24 hours, to detach and reassess where I was, who I was. To create space to hear myself think, feel. To laugh, cry, dance, stand still, be.

“I could hear the voices talking.
But none of them were mine.”