Taking a Social Media Break
If you find yourself taking out your phone without even realizing it—maybe while you’re waiting in line or in a boring meeting—you’re not alone.
On average, Americans spend more than two hours per day on social media, with the top sites being YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
There are good reasons to log on, such as chatting with friends, finding fitness or home decor inspiration or even reading health tips. However, there is a darker side to being chronically online, and it’s important to know when it’s time to take a break.
Some indicators it’s time to reduce your usage include being afraid you’ll miss out if you don’t constantly check for updates, continually comparing yourself to other people’s (very curated) social media lives and feeling irritable after being online. You may also need to take a step back if you’ve ever felt a phantom vibration, taken your phone out and used it without realizing it or have looked for your “lost” phone while holding it.
So, what can a break or even a reduction in use do for you and your health?
Give you time back.
If you’ve ever wondered “where your day went,” you might’ve lost it to the apps. In 2022, researchers found that a one-week break from social media freed up nine hours per week. Instead, people exercised, pursued hobbies and connected with friends in person.
Improve your mental health.
A recent study found that reducing social media time to 30 minutes per day or less decreases depression symptoms by nearly 25% and anxiety symptoms by more than 16%.
Reduce sleep disturbances.
Another study found that using your phone in bed increases the risk of insomnia by 59% and reduces your sleep time by 24 minutes. So, no bedtime doomscrolling!
Are you ready to take a step back? Here are a few ways to get started:
Change your phone settings.
Start by reviewing your daily app use averages (often under Screen Time or Digital Wellbeing). Once you know where most of your time is spent, you can turn off push notifications and set a daily limit of 30 minutes for those apps.
Distance yourself physically.
As many as 70% of Americans sleep with their mobile devices next to their bed or in bed with them, so consider charging your phone in another room. If you can’t do that, at least place it face down so you’re not as tempted to pick it up.
Find a scrolling replacement.
If you tend to scroll when you’re bored, especially when you’re sitting on the couch, give yourself an alternative. Place a book, magazine, crossword puzzle, coloring book or even a deck of cards there instead. You could also try a stress ball, Rubik's Cube or fidget spinner.
It may be difficult at first, but once you reflect on how good you feel, you may not miss social media much.
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