Social media has become a huge outlet for many people to express themselves, create relationships and build connections online. However, social media has also been known to cause anxiety, depression and self-esteem issues. Many people try to detox and spend less time on social media, but does detoxing make us lose that initial connection to the outside world?
Detoxing has tons of benefits that can help us create real, natural connections and free ourselves from worrying about how we are perceived online and comparing ourselves to others. Detoxing can also be a good way to reset and get away from the stresses of life that we are reminded of through social media.
On the other hand, social media is a great way for communication through friends, family, organizations, and networking for businesses. If you aren’t present on social media, you could miss out on important news or events or feel disconnected from your friend groups. If the majority of your connection is online, detoxing from social media could cause more harm than good, and you might lose positive connections. A study by The Conversation shows that a digital detox did not improve their participants’ overall wellbeing, but instead reduced their positive emotions as a whole.
To prevent feeling disconnected from the outside world while still experiencing the positive effects of a social media detox, you can set boundaries for yourself, or temporarily disconnect from the internet as a way to reset and improve your mental well-being, and foster real world connections naturally. By setting these boundaries for yourself, you’re still getting that social connection and interaction while also prioritizing your mental health and well-being.
Disconnecting from social media can also help increase your productivity and time management by giving you opportunities to explore new and more fulfilling hobbies such as exploring arts, or learning a new sport. With the time you would have spent doomscrolling on your phone, you can learn a new skill, reconnect with nature or create real physical connections with the people around you.
A social media detox is a great way to create real life connections and improve your well-being, but it can also create a feeling of loneliness and isolation. You shouldn’t cut yourself off completely from the online world, just redefine your relationship with it.
