Just say no to doom scrolling, phone addiction
How unplugging can change the quality of your life
Wi-Fi is like oxygen in the world we live in currently. From the moment we wake up, to when we hit the hay, we are scrolling, clicking, swiping, and refreshing feeds as if our lives depended on it. Being online is second nature to most of us. But, if you are anything like me, there will be a time when you will get exhausted from being online and being in a digital fishbowl. What if, instead of being glued to our screens, we took a step back to…wait for it…to simply exist?!
Unplugging from social media sounds like something only monks and hippies in wellness retreats do, but hear me out, going offline is an absolute game changer. For starters, it forces you to be actually present. When you’re not refreshing your Twitter feed or TikTok page every five seconds or checking if your latest post got enough likes, you start noticing things: the way the sunlight hits the trees, the sound of the birds in the morning, the breeze through your hair. You start noticing life. Without the presence of constant digital distractions, you engage more, listen better, and experience life wholeheartedly, as opposed to going through it via a screen.
The most beautiful thing about going off social media is the peace and quiet. No notifications ringing. No group chats going off like a never-ending fireworks show. You are left with that little voice in your head. This can be scary for many people, and that is completely normal. However, I challenge you to allow yourself to be bored, to just simply let your thoughts pass by. Boredom is not the enemy, my friends. It is where creativity is born and thrives. By going offline, you are giving your brain the opportunity to just wander, wonder, create, and process things with less background noise.
It can be shocking how much calmer you feel when your brain isn’t constantly trying to keep up with information from millions of people all at once. It’s just like our parents say, “It’s because of that damn phone.” Maybe they are onto something after all.
I have found that deleting all my social media has improved the quality of my life. I have more time for myself. I have more time for my hobbies. I have more time to get to know myself. I’m not focused on trends or what is going viral all the time. I have no idea what is going on in the world. And as someone whose natural disposition is being anxious, this has truly helped me. It might be considered ignorance to not be aware of what is happening around me, but there is a reason why the iconic adage “ignorance is bliss” exists. I don’t want to know.
The reality, however, is that going offline is not completely realistic for everyone. Many people rely on social media for communication, for school, for work, or simply for fun. It is important nonetheless to set boundaries such as having a tech-free morning or evening or having times in your life where you are unplugged from social media. It is important to take that break every once in a while. You owe it to yourself to recharge and get re-aligned with yourself. Social media is not going anywhere. Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is to step away from it. Trust me, the internet will still be there when you want to get back to doom scrolling.
