Why A Social Media Detox Is Necessary For Spiritual Well-Being
Everyone talks about why social media is detrimental to our well-being. For all of the connections and opportunities it creates, it seems to create an equal, if not more plentiful, number of disadvantages. It sucks our time. It leads to comparison to others and the fear of missing out on new, interesting experiences (which apparently some folks call FOMO).
Studies have shown there has been an increase in suicide amongst adolescents that correlates with social media’s rise to popularity. Its algorithms seem to promote hostility and magnify political division. But with all that in mind, many of us still fall back into the bad habit of allowing social media to control our time, our attention, and ultimately, our lives.
All we have is now.
Our mental, emotional, and physical presence is valuable.
In fact, I’d argue that it the most valuable asset we have. As the proverbial saying goes, “You can’t buy time.”
An essential part of well-being is a state of balance. Your physical body, mental state, and emotions need to be functioning in sync. Awareness is the remedy. Whenever we are aware and mindful of our current state of being, we sync up; we become balanced.
You are here.
Social media is a time-sucker. It robs us of our awareness. The constant distraction it creates seems to lessen our threshold for joy as our attention spans seems to wane.
Where is the truth? Where is the connection?
Emotional health suffers when scrolling through the plethora of negative posts, complaints, and political banter. When you’re done scrolling through your newsfeed, you may find that your stomach feels heavy and sick from all of the negativity you’ve ingested.
Social Media Detox for Spiritual Well-Being
I committed to a social media detox years ago. I deactivated my Facebook and deleted the Instagram app from my phone. I hardly used Twitter to begin with, so no loss there.
When my mouse cursor hovered over the temporary deactivation link on Facebook, I felt like I was losing an old friend. My reaction was so visceral that I almost couldn’t click it. Fortunately, I sucked it up and clicked “deactivate.”
Since deactivating my account, I’ve seen more people in a positive regard. I’m no longer bombarded by political opinions. When my friends, loved ones, and acquaintances are around, I can focus on them —instead of the nasty political post they made last week. I can be more present and supportive to those around me.
Surprisingly, deleting social media from my life has left an unexpected void. I have so much time, I don’t know what to do with myself. I’ve learned random things like how to sew, how to organize my kitchen, and new painting techniques. I have more time for family and phone conversations with friends.
Most of all, I have more time for connections.
Real connections…
..with real people
..with real objects
..with real animals
..with real nature
..in the real world.
I think a large component of spirituality is our ability to be present. Why not give yourself the gift of presence and try a social media detox for a few weeks?