Taking a break from social media won’t change your life; do it anyway

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Around the end of December I decided to take a much needed break from social media, specifically Instagram - my favourite social platform of all time. Like many of my friends, I often take small breaks from social media for many reasons. Sometimes to cleanse my mind, sometimes it's to focus on other things and be more present in my own life and sometimes - to keep it 100% real - it's jealousy. 

 

I’ll be honest looking at other peoples’ Instagrams accounts can make me super insecure about my own life. It just makes me think about everything I don’t have and everything I’m not doing. In my logical mind I know I’m overreacting and being so ungrateful, but when it comes to my emotions, logic makes no sense. So I deleted Instagram off my phone because I could sense that jealousy and comparison were beginning to surface heavily again. 

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So the app was gone, now what? I couldn’t help feeling like I was missing out; like there was a party happening somewhere, and I knew it was happening but no one would tell me where it was. Instagram is usually where I find out about what’s happening in the world or find the latest memes, but I suddenly didn’t have that anymore. That felt weird, and my level of cultural awareness definitely took a dip during my short hiatus. There are people I have only ever spoken to through Instagram, so I also missed out on a few good conversations. 

 

After a few days though, these things didn’t bother me as much. I didn’t miss Instagram as much as I thought I would and I slowly began to adapt to my new way of life. Not having the constant distraction or the ambush of content thrown at me, was definitely a welcome, and much needed break. 

 

Overall not much changed though. I didn’t have any profound epiphanies about life or my existence and I definitely didn’t use my scroll-free hours for the greater good - mostly a lot of Netflix. Life didn’t get better or brighter or have a sudden rose-tinted hue to it, just because I removed Instagram from my phone. My problems weren’t magically solved just because I chose to free up space on my phone, and I was still comparing myself to others. I don’t say this to be negative, but simply to be honest. I had the expectation that taking a social media break would be a life-changing experience, but it wasn’t. Removing Instagram didn’t have any kind of impact, because my mindset hadn’t changed. I mistakenly thought that Instagram was the problem, when it’s in fact only a tool -  an enabler, a microscope - that heightens the thoughts and feelings I already have.

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• Instagram is not the problem - I am. Instagram is a neutral platform and my reaction towards it decides whether its impact is positive or negative. As long as I let small things bother me, Instagram will always be a problem.

 

• You can compare yourself to anyone at any time - you don’t need Instagram for that. I still found myself comparing myself to randoms on the street or even my friends when they were doing things that I thought I should be doing. 

 

• Breaks are necessary sometimes. I love Instagram and social media and it’s such a huge part of my current job. However it is almost unnatural to have such a consistent stream of content almost thrown at you and taking a break is healthy once in a while. 

 

• Comparing yourself to other people takes away from your own amazing accomplishments and achievements. Example - last year I had a goal to read 12 books and I smashed it and read 13. I was so proud of myself because the year before I think I read about 2 books. I then went on to Instagram and saw that someone posted that they just reached their goal of reading 60 books. Even though it was dumb I actually felt shit and like I wasn’t doing enough with my time (girl, stop it). Now I know how ridiculous that was, for me reading 12 books was a big deal and I suddenly didn’t value my achievement because of someone else - so silly. 

 

If you’re thinking of taking a break from Instagram, do it. Whether you have a profound moment of epiphany or not, unplugging from the plethora of virtual content being thrown at you everyday, is so necessary. 

 

It often seems as if an act as simple as detaching yourself from social media should be a big deal. These platforms have become such a huge part of our lives and it’s hard to think back to a time when we didn’t scroll through the gram. The reality is, life will keep on moving forward whether you’re on Instagram or not and distancing yourself from social apps does not, and probably will not have any significant meaning. The key is to remember that Instagram is only a tool that reflects the thoughts we already have. Removing Instagram off your phone won’t change your life, but changing, growing and developing your mindset will. 

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