Taking a Break from Social Media

There was a period of time a few years ago when my screen time averaged ten hours a day. Excluding the time spent eating and sleeping, 70% of my day was spent on my phone. In my defense, this statistic was likely impacted by the fact that the entire world was in a state of quarantine, but regardless, I was an… addict. A phone addict. 

I was unable to fully wake up without watching an hour of TikTok. I was unable to sit down and be productive for over an hour without complaining about it on Snapchat. Everything I did from the moment I woke up to the moment I fell asleep revolved around social media—it was in control of my brain. Looking back, I cannot imagine letting such intangible phone applications rule over my supposedly worldly-wise brain, but that’s how addiction works—you never see it coming, and you never see it leave.

I cannot pinpoint what prompted me to a forever-farewell with these platforms, but I personally thank myself for making that decision relatively early on.  My mind could not keep up with the slow pace of the real world around me at first, refusing to forget the joy ride that is social media. I would spill coffee over my iPad and the first thing I’d do is post a photo of it rather than cleaning it up. I would feel like I’m missing out on the latest trends and I’d scroll through endless videos until my eyes were sore. After some mild self-pity, I was finally able to stop myself from frantically searching for my identity in my usernames. 

Now for the update: 

Since then, my life has been filled with far more important connections other than streaks. As much as the name “social” media seemed to confine me to a 5-inch screen for interactions, there proved to be other (better!) ways to be social.  I’ve been feeling more in control of my thoughts and actions, driven by my pure needs and impulses at the moment, not what I see on the 5-inch screen of my phone. And lastly, not to make this blog a 2011 Tumblr post, but I realized that I belong here as me, because no one else but me says so.

Maybe you have never been addicted to social media like me, or you have never had social media. This blog merely illustrates my toxic relationship with social media, and I do not mean to ascertain what you are going through or what you should do. I certainly do not mean to demand that you delete every single social media platform right this second. They indeed are one way to connect and have fun, as long as they work for you (disclaimer: follow me on instagram @jeongn.b). 

Nevertheless if ever you are feeling a little sour after a hot second of social media usage, trust me, you are not alone. It is not you, it’s Snapchat (and other platforms meticulously designed to keep you on their app as long as possible by taking advantage of human psychology). I hope everyone sees how our brain can only have so much space, and emptying is just another way of opening up for new encounters, new experiences, and new realizations. Just try taking a break once in a while, concentrating on what is truly around you, not what seems to be.

Jeongin Bae