Last week, after months of procrastination, I finally decided to take that long-overdue social-media-break everyone kept raving about. It seemed like something an overtly health-conscious person would do, and with good reason, I decided I aspire to be one of them. But, after 3 hours of randomly deleting and re-installing my Instagram app, I realized that a digital detox was just not my cup of tea. 

WHY ARE WE OBSESSED?

Now I know, to a relatively average person, this might seem like a case of digital addiction gone wrong, but in my defence, that’s just the kind of world we live in today. I’m sure half of you have considered taking the social media detox route at least once in your life. Whether you went through with it, it is another story altogether. However, the mere fact that we notice how impossibly addicted we are (to scrolling aimlessly) and still refuse to change proves how less of control we have over our habits. Growing up in a world boosted by aesthetic feeds and ‘gram-worthy selfies– we have ended up creating our version of self-acceptance, and for this, we often think to ourselves – ‘Yay, new-gen!’ right?

Wrong. Because as marvellous as social media is, it is also inevitably distressing at times. We’ve all had to deal with our share of online negativity, and we all know that sometimes, dealing with it requires way more than thick skin. It requires us to take two steps back and then a few steps more. It requires the ultimate digital sacrifice – the social media detox. 

Let’s start with the intellectually aesthetic side of this detox. The side that prefers expression over the impression and warm sunset stories overpaid promotional ones. The side includes users who would instead bond with their favourite indie artists than with dramatic celebrities and those who would take a social media break for the free time/self-preservation it brings. Kavya Tehran, an Independent Musician with a strong social media presence, while speaking with us, said, “Social media is not a validation of your work; it’s just another documentation of it. “I have a healthy relationship with social media only because I feel there’s value in sharing and expressing oneself.” 

These people recognize the gap between real and reel, And for them, a social media cleanse as easy as pushing a button on the screen. Nothing more. Sounds easy? Doesn’t it? It’s clearly not, or we wouldn’t be writing paragraphs about it. 

SOCIAL MEDIA IS A SERIOUS BUSINESS

However, where there is beauty – there is business. And for some creatively gifted money-makers, their beauty itself is their business. These digital influencers have turned social media into more avant-garde and less of an identity contest. They would be the Picassos of the modern world – if Picasso were to post aesthetic pictures of his outfit, that is.

For these stars, pay-per-clicks and brand collaborations are a means to an end, and they put in more effort into their no-makeup selfies than we do into everyday paper-filing. But, this freedom comes at a price because, for them, a social media detox is a digital equivalent of taking days off work for an office-going person. If their bosses are anything like ours, it’s almost impossible. 

Their chance at steady recovery from regularly scheduled trolls and illogical societal pressures balances on the fragile ice of self-induced sacrifice, and believe it or not, what seems like a huge burden to us is a luxury for them. They’re not wrong; they’re just different.

HOW DO I BREAK?

And want to know how you can set the first step toward an almost-seems-impossible break? Well, we have some ways. 

Delete your social media apps

Ignorance is bliss, and we couldn’t agree more. You cannot be attracted to what you can’t see. Without the shared-meme and all of 32 likes on your new photo notifications, a break seems do-able. Delete, ignore and stay that way for a bit.

Change your Wallpaper

Yes, we mean it. Make sure your lock screen wallpaper is a reminder of why you needed a break in the first place. We tried it, and the results weren’t bad.

Replace social media with hobbies

Want to spend time alone and not dread it? We know what you could do. Indulge in things that make you feel good. Or start journaling. You could draw, write, paint or scribble with a pencil because hello, adulting knocked and we can’t open the door. 

To conclude, a social media break is a pretty hard-nut to crack. Either you have to put your resistance on the line or your money; there’s no in-between. But at least the result is almost worth it.