In the beginning, social media was harmless. One Facebook chat lets us keep in touch with friends, one Instagram post lets us share our creative works. But as with otherworldly conveniences, it certainly does not come without drawbacks. Excessive use can cause stress, lead to addiction, and even affect our mental well-being.
If you habitually reach for your phone from morning to night, it's time to consider if a social media detox is in order. Check out these telltale signs to see if your favorite apps are taking over your life, and find out what to do about it:
1. You don't feel safe on social media anymore.
Scammers, hackers, and fraudsters are everywhere. If you feel like your private photos or information online are at risk, review your privacy settings, and immediately disconnect your devices from your accounts.
If you're worried about your data security, deactivate or delete your accounts altogether to ensure you won't get hijacked by clever crooks.
2. You post life updates as they happen.
Do you know newlyweds who updated their Facebook covers with their altar photos on the same day they said their vows? Are you friends with people who post their newborns' picture moments after birth? There is absolutely nothing wrong with updating your circle about your recent milestones--that's what social networking sites are built for, after all.
But if you find yourself posting every single event as it happens, you might want to step away from the screen and reconsider. Take time to reflect on how your social media use has been affecting your life. Is posting your newborn photo a nod towards good parenting?
3. You have developed the fear of missing out.
As with other forms of addiction, social media has withdrawal symptoms. When you step away from Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, or whatever platform you're using, you may feel as though you are missing something important. Naturally, you will want to check out your feed. If you give in to this whim, however, your digital detox will go down the drain.
You can't kill your addiction overnight, so we suggest you take it one step at a time. You can start by sticking to a schedule, like logging into your account only after work or once a day.
4. You constantly compare your life to others.
Multiple studies reveal that social media use is linked to a number of undesirable mental health consequences, such as low self-esteem and bitter jealousy.
In a social comparison study from the University of Houston, it was revealed that comparing yourself to more popular or more attractive people can make you feel worse. On the other hand, comparing yourself to someone who is less popular or less attractive than you can make you feel better about yourself.
Either way, this social comparison trend does affect your mental health in adverse ways. Go offline for a while and ponder about the things you have to reshape your mindset about life.
5. You get annoyed by trivial things.
It's easy to get drowned from the steady stream of information from our newsfeeds. But if trivial matters, such as seeing a friend defend a politician you despise, frustrate you, a digital detox might be in order.
It is already established that too much exposure to social media has detrimental effects on one's mental health. One good social media detox practice is to disconnect from your newsfeed every once in a while. Learn to respect your mental space and take a break from negative political discourses, bad news, and other toxic content that could trigger your bad moods.
6. You are obsessed with the past.
Apps, such as Facebook and Twitter, can make keeping in touch with friends easier, but it also makes moving forward harder for some people who want to start anew. If you find yourself constantly stalking your ex or the toxic people you've long decided to cut ties with, you might be a little too obsessed with the past.
To end your unhealthy relationship with those people and your social media use, take the extra step of blocking them. It might not be easy at first, but it'll be worth it.
7. You feel exhausted and stressed out all the time.
Studies reveal that the more time you spend on social media, the more likely you are to develop depression. Cut back on your screen time by trying out a few social media cleanse tricks. You can ask a trusted friend to change your password or download an app that monitors your usage.
8. You feel disconnected from the people you love.
The irony of social media is that the longer time you spend connecting with others online, the less you spend engaging in real, face-to-face conversations. While online engagements might give you a feeling of temporary satisfaction, it might lead to loneliness and isolation down the road.
Taking a social media detox can help you refocus your life. This will also help you build deeper, more meaningful relationships with the people you love. Remember that too much of everything is bad. Make it a habit to go offline once in a while so you can be truly present in the moment.
