"Being Present: My 48-Hour Experience Without Social Media."
For my social media class, we were required to take a 24-hour fast from all social media platforms at some point during the semester. At first, I was not looking forward to this fast because I thought that I didn’t need it. It wasn’t like I was addicted to social media, right? As I got deeper into my semester, I realized that I do actually have an issue with social media and my phone. I was spending too much time on it, making me unproductive and lonely, and feeling overwhelmed. I decided that during my fall break when my family and I were going on a quick trip to the Adirondacks, I would unplug from social media and see what would happen.
10/6/23
(9:00 P.M.)- This was the start of my fast where I deleted all social media accounts from my phone and my iPad, which were Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube. Right away, it was a bit of a challenge because nighttime is usually when I relax after a long day and watch YouTube while I get ready for bed. I was not ready for complete silence yet, so I decided to listen to an audiobook while finishing up my To-Do list. This ended up being better than watching YouTube because I was able to stay more focused on my tasks. I didn’t miss any of my socials yet, I was just excited to spend time with my family during the next few days and wanted to be more present.
10/7/23
(7:00-11:45 A.M.)- This was the time I spent crammed in my family's van on our way to the Adirondacks. Road trips can be a bit of a stressful time with a large family in a small space, and this time I didn’t have my phone to distract me. Thankfully, it ended up being a fun and productive car ride. I used the time to catch up on some reading for school, and spent the rest of the time talking and messing around with my siblings. Although I felt more present without the temptation of constantly checking my phone, a little part of me missed scrolling on my phone to help the time pass.
(12:00-4:00 P.M.)- We arrived at St. Regis, and it was time to finally hike the mountain! It ended up being such a beautiful day outside and the hike was around 3.5 miles to the peak. It felt freeing to not be tempted to check my socials and see what I was “missing” out on at home. Instead, I was able to be more present and enjoy the beautiful nature around me. I only used my phone to take pictures with my family and to briefly respond to a few texts.
(4:00-10:00) The rest of the day I didn’t even really think about my phone. We drove another hour to the cabin we were staying at and spent the rest of the night exploring, going in the hot tub, cooking dinner, and watching a family movie together. I don’t normally enjoy movies because they feel like a waste of time and I don’t have the attention span, but we watched The Amazing Spiderman and it was so fun. A huge spider actually fell on my head during the movie which created a lot of chaos! Before bed, I reflected that throughout the day I caught myself opening my phone a few times to try and distract myself, but besides that, I really didn’t miss it very much and was content and tired after that long hike.
10/8/23-
(8:30 A.M.-2:00 P.M)- It ended up pouring all day, so we canceled our plans to hike and instead spent a cozy day at our cabin. We slept in, went outside in the rain to warm up in the hot tub, had a delicious breakfast and lunch, read, and played some board games. I hadn’t had a relaxing day like this in a really long time, and it was so nice to slow down and just enjoy time with my family. If I had been home, I might have laid in bed and watched YouTube; but instead, I was able to enjoy some rainy day activities with my family and make memories.
(2:00-5:00 P.M)- We decided to drive to Lake Placid to go shopping and get out of the house. I did bring my phone with me, but I just used it to take some pictures and use my Apple Pay. Again, it was so nice to take in all the sights of Lake Placid and spend time with my family.
(5:00-10:00 P.M)- I only had 5 more hours in my fast, but I wasn’t in a hurry to end it. We made dinner, played more games, and while we watched another family movie, I spent the time shopping for Christmas presents. At nine, I knew my fast had ended so I redownloaded Instagram, but after being on there for less than a minute I decided that I wasn’t ready to go back so I deleted it off my phone again and went to bed soon after.
10/9/23-
(9:00 A.M.-12:00 P.M) It had now been over 48 hours, but I still didn’t redownload anything because we had a busy morning engaged in a fierce board game competition, and then we packed up and went on another hike. I wanted to enjoy our last morning in the Adirondacks without any distractions. It was a very cold and rainy hike, but the view at the top was breathtaking and worth every moment.
(12:00-5:00 P.M) It was now time for the long, rainy drive home. I did end up redownloading Instagram on my phone and my sister and I spent some time scrolling reels together. Although we had fun, I found that I preferred the car ride without social media because I was able to get a lot more done, and for some reason, I felt less carsick.
Once we were home, I redownloaded my apps, putting an end to my fast. It wasn’t until a few days later that I realized that I had actually learned a lot from my 48-hour experience. I don’t think it's realistic to completely delete all of your social media accounts, but the fast made me realize what's important in life. I am now trying to be much more mindful of how I use social media. It is easy to get stuck in a habit of doom-scrolling any time there is the smallest break in my day, and I am determined to change that habit.
Since my fast, I have actually deleted my Instagram app from my phone, so that when I do want to check it once or twice a day, I have to be much more mindful. The process takes a minute or two to redownload and sign in, and it isn't as instantly gratifying as it once was before. Social media is a blessing to me because it is a place where I can connect with my friends and learn interesting things, but it is also a curse because it can make me feel lonely and unproductive, it causes me to compare myself to others and can make me feel anxious and overwhelmed.
I think the important thing I learned is that moderation is key, and I am trying to be much more mindful of the time I spend on social media. Another thing I am working on is replacing the time I spend on social media with healthier things like reading, spending time with family, getting outside, and being creative. It's equally important to stop throughout our busy days, and just take a deep breath.
If you have never done a social media fast, I definitely recommend it. It can help you to realize the unhealthy habits that you have formed, and how you can replace them with healthier ones. When you step away from social media and your phone, you realize how much time you really have in a day, and you can enjoy life more fully!
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