Skip to main content

Digital Detox - My take

The endless scroll. The dragging of your thumb across your screen. The perfect bodies of models sipping cocktails on instagram, the opinions blasted out across twitter. Images or videos you look at and then scroll past, seemingly unaffected by their content. But what does this do for your state of mind?

I am guilty of this. Scrolling through instagram or tiktok and suddenly an hour has past and I don't know where that time has gone. I feel tired and down compared to when I first interacted with my social media accounts and it appears that I am not alone. 

It has been found that social media is more addictive than smoking and alcohol. Spending more than 2 hours on social media a day, has a poor impact on your mental health. With the average person spending more than 2 hours on their phones a day, this becomes a concern. 

Social media effects our self esteem when we compare our lives or bodies to others. The effect of FOMO (Fear of missing out) can make us feel inadequate. It can also effect how you sleep, your connection to others, your attention span and your memory. 

Social media can become a behavioural addiction which can lead to physical, social and psychological problems.  I think a lot of us are guilty of picking up our phones as soon as there is a pause in our day. In fact, the average brit picks up their phone 28 times a day! The draw to your phone while waiting at a bus stop or while sitting on your lunch break. This is where boundaries become essential and leads me into the point of this post...

'Digital Detox Day raises awareness about the negative impact social media can have on our mental health, and helps people to form healthier relationships with their devices.
The campaign is a collaboration between LUSH, Zoe Sugg, and mental health organisation #IAMWHOLE founded by Jordan Stephens. 
Digital Detox Day will take place all over the world on 5th September, when we will be asking people to step away from their phones for one whole day. ' -Digital Detox Day 


How do I know if social media is a problem for me? Do I need a digital detox? 

  1. Firstly, check your screen time. You can do this through your phone or individual social media app settings. See if this time is something you are comfortable with? How much of your day are you losing to scrolling?
  2. Take the Quiz linked here. What does this say about your connection to your feed. 
  3. What do you use your social media for? Social media can be a brilliant way to keep in contact with friends and family. It can help you connect with likeminded people that you may otherwise have not met. But if you are scrolling or dwelling on celebrities images is that benefitting you?
  4. How do you feel when you use social media? 
  5. How would you feel without your phone for a day? If you are like me and it makes you feel slightly anxious maybe that is a sign you need a detox.

How can you take part? 

'On the 4th of September, please share a post on your social media using our campaign symbol (the #IAMWHOLE circle with the word ‘OFF’ written inside) and tag it with #DigitalDetoxDay and @IAMWHOLEUK.'  -Digital Detox Day 

Tips for taking part:
  • Plan your day - this will help you to forget that you are even detoxing!
  • Get others involved - meet up with friends or family to detox together
  • Put your devices away - you will be less tempted 

But what can I do after Digital Detox Day? 

Try to set yourself boundaries and time limits on your use of social media: 
  • 'When you are waking up or going to bed
  • When you are working on a project or hobby
  • When you are spending time with friends or family
  • Before you go to sleep each night' - Very Well Mind
Research suggests that limiting your social media use to 30 minutes each day can improve your mental wellbeing. Worth a shot right?! Look at setting limits/ reminders in your app settings

Make sure you are following people that bring you joy instead of bring you down. 

Take small steps. If you spend 4 hours on social media a day there is no point setting a goal of half an hour a day. Start cutting your time down slowly overtime and you will be more likely to stick to it!

What I will be doing on digital Detox Day 

Reflecting on my feelings and relationship to social media so that I can come back with a more healthy outlook on my connection to it and steps going forward.

Spending time with loved ones. 

Doing things I enjoy - Arts, Gym, getting outdoors in nature. 


What will you be doing? 

Take care, 

Lozzy 


Where I got my information from: 

Digital Detox Day 

Very Well Mind

Happiful

Psychology Today

Young Minds

The Independent

Newsround

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Autumn reflection

Happy Monday folks! Where has this last week gone? In fact, how has autumn nearly come and gone! Scarfs, candles, pumpkins, warm drinks and leaves, this time of year is so lovely. This season is always one for getting back into the swings of uni/school work and coming to terms with the fact that summer is now a distant memory, the nights draw closer and the weather gets more and more dreary with each coming day…. Yay? But after a few years of study, I feel like I have got into the balance of life/work but every year September brings around the challenge all over again. With what feels like mountains to do, sometimes the things I enjoy seem to slip. So, having just been set 5 projects all due by December, I thought now would be a good time to outline what I find are the best ways to manage those stressy times but still get what needs to be done… well… done! 1)       Lists – an old but true suggestion. Write everything down. The stress of forgetting something is gone and u
2 comments
Read more

Finding the light within the storm

January was a month of lockdown, isolation and teaching from home. A month of sunrises, walks and reading. Dancing, painting, snow falls and quiet. There was beauty where you looked for it. Moments of calm amongst this storm. The snow bought a welcome relief. Some variety to living so cooped up. It felt lovely to feel such coolness in the air and to see the world looking so bright. I built a snowman and felt my worries slipping away. I enjoyed hot chocolates and cosy blankets. February started off much like January but harder. Days working from home felt filled with stress and worry. Long days slumped over a laptop, grinding teeth and headaches, deadlines and lesson plans. However, it has also been filled with love. Valentines day, walks, yummy food and still more memories from this month to make. I wanted to share a few things that are lighting up my life so far in 2021. We all need to find the light in the storm. I downloaded an app called one second everyday and I really recommend y
Post a Comment
Read more

Meditations and Mantras

Meditation is a practise that is growing in popularity. It looks to increase calmness and enhance overall health and well-being.  Meditation focuses on the positive connection between the mind and body. It does not look to change you into a different person. It looks to help you to explore yourself more deeply. There are many different types and reasons that people practise meditation but they all have 4 aspects in common; They usually take place in a quiet space. They use a posture that keeps the spine straight whether that be sitting, standing or laying down. They use focus on a mantra, object or the feeling of your breath. They focus on a sense of self compassion when watching thoughts come and go. Meditation has been found to have a positive impact on health from health conditions such as IBS and high blood pressure to mental health conditions. 5 reasons to meditate : "1: Understand your pain 2: Lower your stress 3: Connect better 4: Improve focus 5: Reduce brain chatter"
1 comment
Read more