Have you considered what could happen if you quit social media?
The internet is a great way to stay in touch with friends and family both near and far. According to Small Biz Trends, the first social media site was Six Degrees, and it was created in 1997. There are more than one hundred different sites, but Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok with the best ways to get TikTok likes remain the most popular.
How much time do you spend each day surfing these sites? Can you quit social media, or has it become an addiction? It’s important to monitor how much you devote to these media apps as they can be time-consuming.
Addictions come in all shapes and sizes, and trading one for another will not get you anywhere. Everyone has their vices or the things that help them get through the day, but social media can quickly dominate your life. Do you check your wall the minute you wake up, or did you hurry to Tweet about how terrible your morning was today?
Do you stay up late at night scrolling newsfeeds and seeing what everyone is into? Perhaps, you’ve become an influencer and use social media to make money. While there are some good things about staying connected, there are also some bad things to consider.
What Happens When You Quit Social Media?
While it’s hard to break the tie that binds, many positive things will happen when you quit social media. Now, it’s not easy to do, and it’s not going to happen overnight. However, some positive things will occur when you limit or kick social channels to the curb.
1. Your Sleep Will Improve
How many nights do you stay up way past your bedtime so you can watch videos or scroll social media? According to Review 22, the average person in this country spends two hours and 22 minutes on social media each day. Now, think if you got two more hours of sleep each night?
When you quit social media, you will be forced to read a good book, talk to your partner, or close your eyes and go to sleep. Plus, the rattling news and drama from these media outlets won’t ruminate in your mind either.
2. You’ll Get More Work Done if You Quit Social Media
You already know that social media is a significant time waster. When you have phones buzzing and ringing constantly, the urge to pick them up is excellent. When you keep stopping every five minutes to see who posted what, you’re going to be slow to get anything done.
While multitasking was once thought of as a great way to get things done, the American Psychological Association now says that constantly shifting back and forth can be bad for your brain health. Social media can reduce your productivity by up to 40 percent, so think of what you can get done with all this extra time.
3. Stress Levels Might Decrease
Social outlets have many good aspects, but some things you read on the internet are disturbing. Maybe you’ve been down on your luck, but when you’re watching everyone else post their best moments, it can affect your mood. Plus, you cannot forget about the arguments and interactions that aren’t so pleasant that cause stress.
If you quit social media, you will be amazed at how your stress levels decrease. What would life be like with no more message alerts every time someone posts what they ate for dinner?
4. Your Creativity Might Improve if You Quit Social Media
Have you noticed how children today don’t have the creativity they did in years past? Forget making mud pies, blanket forts, and playing in the great outdoors; technology has put a damper on the fun. Adults are equally affected by using the internet.
Your creativity can greatly suffer when you’re constantly looking up someone else’s ideas. The internet does most of the thinking for you, and social media is just another way to find resources without using your imagination.
5. You’ll Discover More Mentally Engaging Activities
How many times have you got your phone out when you’re standing in line at the grocery store or in the doctor’s office? You use the phones to help you pass the time, and scrolling on social media becomes a hobby. What would you do if you didn’t have your phone?
You would read a magazine, talk to someone next to you, or play a clever game with your kids of Eye Spy. These phones are zapping the abilities to engage with other people and the capacity to participate mentally from you.
6. Others’ Views of You Lose Their Grip
Are you a people pleaser? Do you do everything in your power to ensure that others are envious of you? The court of public opinion is out in full force on social media.
It can really affect the way you interact with others and how you feel about yourself. When you quit social media, the opinions of others don’t have such a grip on you.
There’s nothing worse than posting something on your wall or Tweeting about your day and having people criticize you. Who needs this kind of stress?
7. Your Self-Assurance Could Improve
When you’re a slave to social outlets, then you might weigh each decision you make. If you post regularly, people expect to see your post, and if you skip a day, they will wonder what’s going on with you.
Everything you do is under the microscope from the people you befriend online. They can cause your esteem to tank when they put you down or don’t like your comments. Your self-assurance and esteem can greatly suffer when you rely on what other people think and say.
8. Tension Decreases When You Quit Social Media
Have you experienced an all-out war on your social media outlets? People can be quite mean. What happens if you voice your opinion and they come after you?
If you feel tension and stress every time one of your indications or private messages comes to your phone, it’s time to quit social media. When you’re no longer enjoying the apps, and they’ve become more trouble than they’re worth, it’s time to get rid of them.
9. Face-to-face Relationships Improve
Have you ever went out to dinner, and you hardly saw the person’s face because it was buried in their phone? People have become rude when it comes to communicating face-to-face. They won’t let an email, social media alert, or private message go unanswered, no matter who’s with them.
How much more would you be engaged with those around you if you didn’t have your phone? Evaluate your life daily and see how much your social media obsession keeps you from spending quality time with the ones you love. You might be surprised if you check the amount of time you spend on the internet each day.
Consider Facebook. It’s one of the hottest apps around, with more than three hundred million users. Each day, there are 1.4 million of those people active on their accounts. However, an article by Marketplace shows that Facebook is losing users to their other brand, Instagram. Can you imagine what their numbers were before?
The more outlets that continue to pop up, the more these established sites lose people. However, for the average person, it just means more social channels to draw their attention.
10. Your Body Image Will Improve
You must have a healthy view of your body, regardless of all your imperfections. If you see posts that use derogatory comments towards people of size, it can affect how you feel about your physique. You must love the skin your in, even if you’re trying to make improvements.
There is no perfect body, hair, wardrobe, or life. The internet is so full of fake people and situations that it’s easy to get drawn into it. Quit feeling less than when you’re perfect just the way you are.
Final Thoughts on Positive Changes That Might Occur When You Quit Social Media
Social media is a great way to pass the time. However, it’s also a timewaster. If you’re spending more energy keeping up with the recent posting on these apps than you do with your family and friends, then it’s time to quit social media. The more sites that pop up on the internet, the more the attraction to add another app to your phone becomes.
The sad part about all these sites is that they’re so full of fakery. All the “friends” on your wall mostly post their best moments. They want to create an illusion or a façade of a perfect life, but no one has perfection.
Remember the next time you feel the pangs of jealousy hit you because someone got a new home, car, or just spent a week in the tropics; you only see what they allow you to see. Behind every post is some harsh realities that show an entirely different picture. If you can’t quit social media cold turkey, reduce your time on these sites.
You will undoubtedly see positive changes in your productivity, attitude, stress levels, and overall free time. What’s keeping you tied to these sites, and isn’t it time to break the tie that binds?
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