Becoming Unplugged: The Benefits of Deleting Social Media

Putting effort into social media can be mentally taxing. Having a perfectly curated feed, a color-coordinated profile and the right followers-to-following ratio can feel like impossible standards to meet. 

Despite the stress, many of us find it difficult to look away from our phones because we're afraid we'll miss out. 

Graphic by Anabel Perez Kocis

After logging hours of screen time, I began to wonder about the consequences of my casual addiction to social media.

Over the past few months, I've been doomscrolling instead of doing assignments, stressed about deadlines and not getting enough sleep. Yet wasting time stalking strangers on the internet instead of being productive seemed like my own fault. 

So, I tried putting timers on my apps. I got 30 minutes on TikTok and 20 minutes on Instagram. From there, I lowered the timers to 10 minutes each and then I deleted the apps altogether. 

Since then, I’ve felt more motivated. When I’m bored, I challenge myself to start a new craft or go for a walk when I’d otherwise be watching a 30-second clip of someone else doing the same thing.

I feel lighter, too. I didn’t realize how much social media made me compare myself to others. 

Nineteen-year-old college student Lilly Murat noticed a similar effect when she deleted social media a few months ago. She said limiting her time online allows her to feel creative and present in her own life.

Since making the effort to unplug, I've become a more present person. It isn’t a perfect fix — I still indulge in a mindless scroll from time to time. But my screen time is down, my morale is boosted and my mind is less cluttered.