Signs You Need a Social Media Break

One defining factor of our generation is our dependence on technology. Whether we like it or not, the fact of the matter is technology is an essential part of life as we know it. From making emergency calls and personal security to GPS navigation and managing our bank accounts and bills, our mobile phones are a lifeline — but what does that make social media?

While we post, chat and interact with friends, family and strangers online, how do we know when the fun hobby becomes addictive? There are a few ways to recognize and pull back, if need be.

Check Yourself

Try to really think about how much time a day, week or month you spend on social media. All that screen time can really have an impact on your mood. If you walk away from your last Twitter scroll or Instagram wormhole a little more vexed, competitive and generally down, it’s time to step back.

If you begin to feel an obligation to prove something to friends and followers through posting more, interacting more and presenting yourself a certain way online, while having little motivation to actually engage in person, you need a break.

Checking in with friends and family should be a fun, exciting and uplifting experience, so save some of yourself for an in-person exchange — it’s infinitely more rewarding than notifications.

Check your Usage

Unable to really evaluate your usage on your own? Use your phone settings to break it down for you. iPhone users, go to your Settings, Battery and scroll down to the last 24 hours. Here you will find the details of the most used apps in the last full day. Click the time icon next to that to see exactly how much time you’ve spent on each app. If your top three are different social media apps, it’s probably time to give yourself some space.

Using social media as a distraction from reality can aid and abet unhealthy habits. Do yourself a favor, check-in and check-out for a small period of time.

Check-in on Friends

Some drastic detox-ers head off for months at a time, but ease into it and start slowly. Write passwords and usernames down somewhere and delete the apps from your phone for a week or more to start and see how you feel. If nothing else, it’s a fun experiment in willpower.

Make a point to see, catch up and visit friends and family you haven’t made time with in awhile. The distance from social media will be like a microscope on the individuals you actually make time to check in on, and not use social media as way to feel like you’re all caught up.