Social Media Detox

“ If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be”- Maya Angelou.

I know some may be wondering what is a social media detox, if the title is not self explanatory within itself. It is simply removing yourself from social media platforms, whether its engaging or completely deleting your accounts for emotional , spiritual and mental benefits . I was recently introduced to this term when I had noticed one of my closet friend’s Instagram so was no longer an account. I was confused ,I automatically assumed she blocked me, so your girl was pissed. Me being me I had to ask what the hell was going on , she reassured me that it had nothing to do with me, but everything to do with her well- being. At first I was confused by this term , not really sure what was the point of doing such thing. Later throughout the journey I understood the benefits. . At this point in my life I was feeling incomplete , unfulfilled, at a standstill and I wondered why? What made me feel this way. I read studies about how too much social media engagement would have negative effects on self-esteem and often contributes to depression. So I decided to test this hypothesis. The first week I decided to reduce the amount of time on some of my favorite apps including : Instagram , Twitter, WhatsApp , Pinterest and Snap Chat.

Social media is not entirely a bad thing , it all depends on how it is being used and what it is being used for. I would spend hours and hours , scrolling , double tapping , and retweeting through my feeds. Being consumed; without hesitation I surrender. Detached from reality and conforming to this mystical world ; the way it controls our lives, it is the oxygen to our lungs. It seemed giving up social media would be impossible, I decided to do this in small dosages, reducing the amount of hours I spent daily. Then one by one eliminating engagement with each app. Lastly I stopped updating my blog, which was the hardest for me especially considering I had recently started. My main goals were:

2.To grow a strong connection with God.

3.To be absorbed in my environment understanding the world in which we live in.

I meditated and spent most of my time reading and watching the news , especially because I had no idea what was going on in the world and around me. Constantly scrolling through feeds on Instagram with models with unrealistic bodies , unrealistic lifestyles projected in a light that diminishes anyone who does not remotely resemble or promotes such ideas. I noticed that I was subconsciously comparing my life to these models, wondering how they obtained an hourglass shape with impeccable skin. I wondered how these people looked so perfect and how they were living such perfect lives. I had to put it in retrospect , people do not normally post their struggles , or their bad days , or their disappointments or their shortcomings. It is better to seem like your life is all together rather than displaying the train smash that lies within. One thing humans have mastered is the art of pretending , its easier to say things are going good rather than explain why something isn’t .

I do not follow social norms , I try to not partake in activities that society deems as normality. I am rebellious in that way , I believe in spontaneity and uniqueness. I do not care about being trendy or keeping up with the latest styles. I march to the beat of my own drum. So it is mentally exhausting when I scroll down my feed and every has the same body , everyone is wearing the same style of clothes , same makeup trends and consuming the same products. Everything on social media seems so predictable and thinking about it , it actually drives me crazy. So I had to take a break, and with this break brought peace and happiness. I felt the world , I finally was looking through the lens I needed to, I felt ME , I could see MYSELF, I know what I wanted out of life , what was for me and what made me truly happy. I still use social media obviously, but now I am in control, I spend less time in a mystical world, rather I engage with my reality, surrounding myself with people I love and that my friend is worth more than gold.

Aaronique Hepburn

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