Social Media Fast

Photo by Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash

Recently, many LDS teenagers participated in a week-long social media fast after being challenged by President Russell M. Nelson. I felt inspired to join in (maybe because I look like a youth), and I had a great experience. Here are a few things I learned:

1. Even without social media, I still waste a lot of time. Instead of scrolling through Instagram, I watched YouTube videos, looked at Riverdale memes, and read movie reviews. Removing social media from my life is not enough; I must actively replace the activity with something else.

2. I didn't miss it. I thought that seven days without social media would be difficult. But it wasn't. I thought I would it would bother me not knowing every engagement, vacation, and baby milestone on my Facebook feed. But it didn't. I thought I would habitually open the Twitter app. But I didn't. I think it helped that I turned off all notifications. I think I might keep the notifications off and only jump online when I want to. I don't want my life to be ruled by a bright red number.

3. Social media is a great tool. Not using social media reminded me of all its great uses. I use it for work, for school, for church. It enables me to connect with others. I was grateful for the reminder of using social media for a purpose (I just wrote about this in March but apparently it didn't stick!).

I plan to stay logged in to my accounts and to scroll from time to time. But it was also good to take a break. If you took the challenge, let me know how it went! If social media is filling your life with negativity or just sucking up all your time, I encourage you to try a fast. Whether it's a day or a week, I promise you'll appreciate the chance to disconnect.