Considering a Digital Detox? Reasons and Strategies for Unplugging
Over the years, countless clients have shared how social media affects their lives and their thoughts about taking a break from it. Many people face similar stressors tied to technology and social media use, and recently, there’s been a growing conversation around unplugging—but for different reasons than before. In this blog, we’ll explore the most common reasons people consider digital detoxes and offer tailored strategies to help you address the specific challenges you may be facing.
Reason #1: Unplugging to Opt-Out of the Jealousy and Comparison Trap
For years, many people have privately disclosed the insecurity (and jealousy) that shows up when they see their friends celebrating big milestones on social media. Whether it’s getting engaged, buying a house, getting pregnant, going on a dream vacation, seeing other people’s high points can cause us to question ourselves and whether or not we’re “on track.” When we see many of our friends hitting common developmental milestones around the same time, and we’re not, it can cause us to feel like we’re behind.
Ideally, we would be able to celebrate our friends and be genuinely happy for them when they hit these milestones. We would understand that their milestone achievement is not a reflection of ourselves or where we are in life. We might also recognize that when jealousy pops up, it’s just an indicator that we too want that thing that they have accomplished, and that’s OK. Our friends achieving these milestones does not diminish or take away from our own ability to achieve that same milestone. We might also understand that some milestones cannot (and should not) be rushed. Imagine just how problematic it would be if you bought a house, got pregnant, or got married just to keep up with your friends. Those decisions might not turn out so well.
But…let’s be real….We’re not always in a place where we can easily tame those feelings. In those cases, it’s totally OK to take a break from social media if your exposure to it makes you feel bad about it. Situation solved!! Now, of course, it’s up to you to decide HOW you choose to get off of social media. We’ll address that below.
Solutions for addressing these issues with social media: There’s no one-size-fits all approach for addressing this particular issue. In some cases, people decide to take a complete break from social media. Some set a goal to stay off of social media for x number of weeks while others decide to take a break for an indefinite period of time. People who are not yet ready to completely abandon their social media pages may opt to unfollow the people or accounts that make them feel bad. For example, if you struggle with body image, but you’re subscribed to influencers who promote products, images, or content that makes you feel bad, go ahead and click that “unfollow” button.
Reason #2: Opting Out of Social Media Due to a Conflict in Values
During this past year, I saw waves of people opting out of social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook/Meta due to a conflict in the values, practices, and politics of the owners of those platforms. Today, many people really care about the mission, vision, values, and practices of the companies they support. When someone gives a social media platform their time and attention, they are in fact supporting it. People know this, so they are choosing to opt out if they don’t feel aligned with the people leading these platforms.
Here are some options for you: If you’re the person who does not want to support platforms that don’t align with your values or beliefs, you can research other platforms and join those instead. That way, you can feel good about the tools you’re using.
Reason #3: Unplugging to Reduce Stress and Anxiety from the News, Politics, & World Events
It’s no secret that the past few years have been filled with stress, chaos, uncertainty, and political tension. If reading the political commentary and news on social media gets your blood boiling, it’s OK to opt out. If you’re the person who feels the need to be super informed on the news, there are ways to scale that back. Constantly accessing the news might keep you informed, but it might also result in you not feeling so great.
Here are some solutions for you: As stated above, you can choose to completely opt out of social media. You can choose to do the same for the news. If, however, you still want to know what’s happening in the world, and you want to be in touch with your friends, another option is to limit your time watching/reading the news and to limit your time on social media. You can do this in a very structured way by creating a plan for when you will go on social media each day, and for how long. You can set a timer to ensure that you don’t get sucked into the rabbit hole that is social media. If you’re fancy and up on technology, you can use the tools on your phone or computer to stop you from being able to access certain apps or platforms at certain times of the day. If you read the news from your phone, you can also choose to delete those apps or remove the notifications that encourage you to check out what’s happening.
Reason #4: Unplugging from Technology to Reduce Screen Time, Increase Productivity, and Inhabit the Present Moment
Have you ever received those alerts that tell you how much time you’ve spent on your phone each day of the last week? During a time when so many of us feel super busy and strapped for time, it’s unbelievable to see how much time we’ve spent on our phones each day. One might naturally ask what else they would be doing or accomplishing if they weren’t scrolling? If you’re the person who wants to decrease phone time for the sake of productivity or being more present, you’ve got some options.
Solutions for Reducing screen time: Some families like to create agreed upon rules around screen time, so they are being intentional about being fully present with one another. For example, some friends and family members put their cell phones in a basket at dinner time, so everyone is off their devices and fully present for the conversation at hand. I once heard a presenter share about a rule that she and her partner have. The rule is that if you are not the person who is driving, then you are not allowed to be on your phone because it is your job to keep the driver engaged. Some resorts have technology free spaces, so people can be fully present, and the same concept can be applied at home. Other families use technology to ensure that all devices get turned off at the same time each night.
If you are the person who is wanting to reduce your screen time for the sake of productivity, you can certainly turn off your phone or put it on silent while working on projects. You can use tech tools and apps to prohibit you from going on social media or other websites where you tend to get sucked in. With time and repetition, we can certainly change the behaviors we’ve formed to create new habits that better serve us.
So, are you thinking of doing a digital detox? If so, I’d love to know your reasons and the strategy you’ll be using. If one of these reasons is aligned with yours, be sure to let me know.
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Written by: Melissa Wesner, LCPC
Melissa Wesner, LCPC is the Founder of LifeSpring Counseling Services. She is a Certified Brainspotter and Brainspotting Consultant who loves doing individual therapy and offering Brainspotting Intensives.
