Do you ever wish you had more time to get things done like studying for finals? Or exercising? Reading a book? Deep cleaning? Crafting? Having a spa day? Or that one thing you say you don’t have time for?
What if I told you, you have almost two hours of free time every day? The average person spends “at least one hour and 40 minutes per day” on social media according to Chavez. If you take a break from social networks, you could exercise for 30 minutes and still have over an hour of free time.
If you want to track how much time you’re spending on websites and apps,from YouTube to Microsoft Word, RescueTime is a free app and plugin for Google Chrome. I am not affiliated with RescueTime.
Breaking the addiction won’t be easy though. That’s why I suggest taking a 24-hour break rather than quitting cold-turkey. Knowing you can get back on the next day will help ease your FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), according to Chavez.
I know this is the twenty-first century, and you can’t give up your smartphone completely because you need it for school emails and dual authentication to log onto Canvas. You’ll need to turn off all your notifications from your apps so that you are not tempted to cheat and get back on. T
The average internet user has seven social media accounts according to Mander (2016). Young adults ages 16-24 have more than average (Mander 2016). Social media sites include Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Tumblr, Flickr, Reddit, LinkedIn, Google +, etc.
I dare you to post your #DayAway on all your social media sites so that you are accountable to your friends and followers. Then log off. Or better yet delete some apps. Now’s a good time to delete privacy-violating apps.
Detoxing from social media is great for your mental health. You’ll stop comparing yourself to others, feel less competitive and feel less depressed. You’ll be more focused. You’ll also be able to live in the moment and connect with real people instead of taking ten photos of your food to post online, and you’ll stop looking at old posts from the past. You’ll even sleep better if you avoid exposure to the blue light from screens before bed.
After the social media fast, try only checking social media at one set time per day, such as 4 p.m. Don’t start your day with stressful social media, and don’t end it will social media either. What are you waiting for? Your free time awaits.