upworthy

digital detox

Pop Culture

College student went social media-free for 3 years. Here are the 4 surprising ways she 'missed out.'

A bit of counter-programming for those of us feeling guilty about our time spent online.

Photo credit: Canva

Social media, when used wisely, can have a lot of benefits.

We've heard so much about how detrimental our collective reliance on social media is. How it robs us of our mental health (not to mention our joy) by making us compare ourselves to others, adhere to advice that is trending rather than what comes from a verifiable source, hyper-fixate on political issues in the name of staying “informed”…the list go on and on and on.

With these factors in mind, it’s understandable that many folks opt out of social media altogether. That’s what college student and TikTok creator Billy (@1ilyp00h) decided to do for three whole years.

However, after coming back to the apps, she was surprised to learn she felt like she genuinely missed out on some pretty good, life-improving things.

For starters, the motivation that comes from seeing other people’s lives.

@1ilyp00h just my thoughts from my own personal experience :) #socialmediadetox ♬ original sound - billy newspaper

Sure, not being inundated with content showing other people living their best lives (or at least curating it to look that way) helps you be “content” with yourself, which Billy admits is a “good thing,” but it can also pave the way to stagnancy.

However, “When you’re on social media, you’re constantly challenged,” she said, noting how it’s inspiring to see people starting businesses, doing a career pivot, or even "crazy" things like climbing Mount Everest.

Going without that kind of exposure, it became “very easy to convince myself that I was doing enough,” said Billy. But being back on, she’s reminded what other things are “possible.”

There’s also the connections she missed out on with friends who remained on platforms like Instagram, X, or TikTok, and did a lot of communicating through there via DMs. Not to mention, the memes brought up that she had no idea about.

“There will be social situations where people bring up something that is viral on social media…and you’re like, hey guys, I actually didn’t see that, but I would like to be involved in the fun.”

social media, digital detox, instagram, snapchat, tiktok, x, memes, college, mental health A group of friends looking over the same meme. Photo credit: Canva

Not being able to “mindlessly interact” in this way is usually seen as a good thing, Billy noted, since it encourages intentionality. At the same time, “There’s something to be said about how nice it is to just sometimes see something that reminds you of your friend and just send it off to them and that’s starting a conversation between you.”

Then, Billy mentioned losing the impetus to capture memories. A common complaint against a social media-driven society is how people miss out on the actual experience of an event because they’re too busy trying to record it. But in Billy’s experience, she regretted not doing it.

“There’s a huge chunk of my life where I just don’t have photos of what I did and it’s sad because I remember now what I did in that time, but 50 years from now…it’ll mostly be gone.”

social media, digital detox, instagram, snapchat, tiktok, x, memes, college, mental health A couple taking a photo of their hike. Photo credit: Canva

Lastly, Billy said she missed out on ways to stay in touch with peripheral connections, such as acquaintances or people she met in a brief moment, like at camps or during summer internships.

Without something like Instagram, these types of people “fall out of your life completely,” which Billy says is a loss.

Down in the comments, other folks also stood up for the potential benefits social media has given them.

“Positive things TikTok has influenced me on: owning dairy goats, canning my own foods, learning how to sew, going to engineering school at 34.”

“Ive learned so many new hobbies and am so influenced by cooking and fashion on there.”

Others agreed that maintaining certain friendships seemed impossible without it.

“It became so hard to keep those people in my life and all of those friendships really suffered the second I deleted social media.”

There is certainly good reason to be wary of social media, but what we garner from Billy’s story is that with balance, we don’t have to miss out on any of the aforementioned benefits that social media does provide. Of course, this is easier said than done, what with the very addictive nature of the apps. But what a reminder to engage in digital detoxes from time to time. Maybe not all of us can do it for three years. But three days? That sounds doable.

It might be difficult to go offline for any extended period of time. And just like Billy did, we’re sure to miss out on some things, since it is such a constant backdrop in daily life. However, doing so helps ensure that when we do come back online, we’re able to do it without losing a bit of ourselves.

From Your Site Articles
mental health
Pop CultureInternet
Family

Mom documents the immediate change that happened after taking away her daughter's iPad

Everyone is thrilled by the results.

Photo credit: Canva

Limiting screentime can be enjoyable for kids and parents alike.

Like most parents, Stephany Faublas often used an iPad to keep her 5-year-old daughter Cadence Gray entertained, especially during work hours when she couldn’t devote a lot of her attention.

But Faublas shared that she began noticing behavioral changes in Cadence after an extended amount of screentime.

“We were butting heads a lot," Faublas told Good Morning America. "I was noticing her ability to listen to the full direction was not there or was decreasing. Her patience was decreasing [and] so was mine."

Hoping to nip the problem in the bud, Faublas began a “no iPad challenge,” swapping out the normal hours of screen time for practicing writing the alphabet.

Though the 34-year-old mom was initially nervous about how her daughter would react, she was pleasantly surprised by Cadence's enthusiasm at the challenge. So much so that she decided to record the journey and share it on TikTok.

“Her excitement to start made me want to record and keep the moment – just in case the enthusiasm wasn’t the same the next day. I figured I could use this footage to remind her of her excitement to learn,” Faublas told Fox News Digital.


@stehfuhnee_

Day 1 of resetting that frontal lobe (pray for us both) #momsoftiktok #kumon #singlemom #motherdaughter

So far, we’ve seen the adorable Cadence have a blast with letters B through M, and viewers are having a ton of fun along with her. So many have written in commending the young girl’s confidence and bold personality.

“It’s giving class president,” said one of the top comments.

What’s more, Faublas noted that those previous behavior issues “went away immediately.”

"Her ability to have a little bit more patience was there. I also felt like her emotional responses were also much more tempered,” she told GMA.

@stehfuhnee_

The Gifted to @Poppi addict pipeline 🤭 #noipad #summerslide #letterpractice #motherdaughter #momsoftiktok @target @Scholastic

Though quitting screens cold turkey isn’t always necessary, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting screen time for children between the ages of 2 and 5 to less than one hour per day and doesn't recommend any screen time for kids under 2. Still, the organization recognizes that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach.

Regardless, it’s a good idea for parents to have some ideas for screen-free activities—particularly those that stimulate the body and the brain. Previously, Simple Life posted a video sharing a whopping 30 games that do just that. And luckily, none require a ton of props. A tissue here, a stuffed animal there. All in all, pretty darn simple.



As this video, along with Stephany and Cadence’s story, shows, finding ways to reduce screen time can be enjoyable both for parents and kids. Parents get a bonding opportunity, kids get to learn in exciting new ways. It’s just a win-win for everyone. IPads can definitely be a godsend at times, but we all know that relying on them too much doesn’t do parents, or their kids, any favors.

To follow along on Stephany and Cadence's "No iPad challenge," find them on TikTok.





From Your Site Articles
parenting
FamilyParenting
Popular

Comedian gets serious on why Millenials say life hasn't felt like 'reality' since 2020

He also shares tips on how to return to reality.

via MikeMancusi/TikTok (used with permission) and Liza Summer/Pexels

Mike Mancusi shares why life doesn't feel real anymore.

Comedian Mike Mancusi struck a chord on TikTok and Instagram with a post explaining why many people, especially Millenials, think life hasn’t felt like “reality” since the beginning of the pandemic four years ago.

"The cause of this phenomenon is the fact that we're not living life in reality anymore," Mancusi claims. "2020 smashed our existences into our phones and into the digital world and we are no longer existing in our physical space.”

He adds that our lives now feel more like a "video game" and that we're exposed to all of the "awful things that everybody across the entire world deals with all the time” instead of being concerned with things in our “circle of influence.”

“We are still organic beings and our brains have been completely connected to this artificial device. ... We'll eventually be cyborgs,” the comedian said.

Life hasn't felt like reality since 2020 

@mikemancusi

Life hasnt felt like reality since 2020 #existentialcrisis #existentialism #existential #2020 #technology #millennials #millennial

​He adds that even when we break out of our digital routines and go on vacation, our phones are still top-of-mind. We fear we’re missing out on something on social media and feel pressured to take photos and share the trip online.

"We are no longer actually living life in our physical space, we are living it through the phone. This is why life does not feel like reality,” Mancusi said. “Life just seems to disappear when you are trapped in a routine ... a routine of our brains being completely connected to whatever is happening within this device."

Mancusi’s bottom line is simple: You're addicted to the phone. Return to your physical spaces.

Upworthy spoke with Mancusi and he shared his thoughts on how people can break the cycle of smartphone addiction and return to reality. He believes that we are all suffering from some form of smartphone addiction.

"[Smartphones are] an addiction that has caused a lot of change in your brain chemistry. The process of adjusting your behaviors can be long and challenging. If you've been scrolling your phone endlessly for 4 years, the process of getting back to the real world is not going to happen in 3 days," he told Upworthy.

He believes that smartphone addiction is incredibly challenging because, much like food addiction, it's impossible to go "cold turkey."

"People need to re-adjust their relationship with their phones and incorporate strict limitations," he told Upworthy. "For example, I won't scroll between the hours of 9 and 12 a.m. Any time I go out to dinner with my wife, I won't bring my phone. When I take the dog to the park, I won't bring my phone. I'm blocking Instagram access while I'm at work."

In the end, Mancusi believes that we need to retrain our brains to find joy in our physical lives, which have been diminished by the quick and easy dopamine hits we get from our smartphones.

"Your brain has been wired only to get joy from an unhealthy thing," he told Upworthy. "It has been intentionally altered by tech executives. Re-training your brain to enjoy your physical space is a process that will take time, but for those who invest in it, it will pay off in the long term when you align your happiness with healthier, tangible things. Find the things that you love to do in life and re-train yourself to love them again."





From Your Site Articles
smartphone addiction
Health

Neuroscientist reveals perfect amount of time to spend on social media for your mental health

Over several weeks, the participants felt less loneliness, depression and anxiety.

@rachelle_summers/TikTok

Anyone can use this checklist.

There are pretty clear cut guidelines on how much screen time kids should have, but for adults…not so much. And perhaps it’s this lack of clarity that leaves people to go on full blown digital detoxes or get off social media entirely.

And while there is certainly a case to be made for that decision, for many of us, that isn’t quite feasible—especially in certain lines of work.

Luckily, according to neuroscientist Rachelle Summers, there is a way we can still be on social media, without being subjected to its negative side effects.

In a video posted to her TikTok and Instagram, Summers first cited a study which found that limiting social media use to 30 minutes per day lead to a "significant improvement in well-being” among participants.

Over several weeks, the participants felt less loneliness, depression, anxiety and FOMO—common symptoms of social media overuse.

Of course, 30 minutes might seem like an extremely short amount of time to be on social media (never mind if you’re actually posting something). In fact, according to one polling website, average person spends a little over 2 hours each day on social media, which is also drastically low in comparison to some of the comments to Summer’s video.

“Yikes. I’ve been doing 30 minutes every half an hour,” one person wrote.

Another added, “I’m on Instagram around 25 hours a week. Guess that’s a critical amount.”

Summers did however add that the study only measured the effects of limiting social media to 30 minutes, and noted that similar benefits could be found at a little more usage time.

So then, what if we want to spend more than a measly 30 minutes and still see benefits? Summers proposes going through this checklist of questions:

-Establish your baseline. How much time are you currently spending on social media?

-Are you sleeping poorly?

-How’s your attention span?Are you finding it difficult to concentrate on a task?

-How is your Mood? Are you experiencing any anxiety or depression?

-Are you noticing physical discomfort like eye strain or headaches?

-What does your engagement look like? Are you mostly looking at content that puts you in a negative headspace?

-Have you stopped or reduced how much time you’re investing in offline relationships and/or hobbies?

If you answered yes to two or more of these questions, Summers suggests going back to your original baseline and reducing social media consumption by 20% . Then check again in two weeks and continue reducing by 20% until you’ve only got one yes. Or, better yet, zero.

I don't know about you, but I answered yes to nearly all of these…along with tons of viewers.

“Brain fog is so frustrating and uncomfortable,” one person wrote.

“I spend a lot of time on subreddits that are laden with rage bait,” admitted another.

We all know we need to limit our social media use. But we don’t necessarily have a way of measuring how much we need to cut back. And while a weeklong vacation to a spot with zero internet service might be ideal, some real world, everyday tools can be just as helpful. And perhaps even more sustainable.

And while you’re using that daily allowance of social media, be sure to follow Summers on TikTok and Instagram for more cool tips.

From Your Site Articles
science
HealthMental Health
Trending Stories