I just hopped off Instagram for the last time. So was the way with Friendster, Myspace, Twitter, and Facebook. As the kids say, it just wasn't giving.
Only after deactivating my account did I stop to wonder what the impacts of quitting social media were. Turns out, there's good news and bad news.
The good news is that one study showed that quitting social media for a spell helped lower people's stress levels. We love that!
The bad news is that another study showed that quitting social media led to more loneliness and crummy feelings. We don't love that.
But if you're here, you're probably already considering quitting social media, so let's go through some important steps to take before leaving the apps behind for good.
Before you log off for good, do an old-school inventory. Weigh out the pros and cons. Why are you using social media? Is it giving you what you want? Is it imperative for business? Are there other ways to stay connected and social?
Be really honest with yourself and your reasons for using social media in the first place. This can help ward off some of the more negative effects of quitting social media like feeling lonelier or less happy.
Before deactivating your accounts, build up your offline social networks. Make sure you have people's phone numbers and start texting and calling them now.
Hang out with people in real life while you still have your accounts. That way, when you finally say goodbye for good, you won't feel so lost and lonely.
Try a test run. Deactivate your account for a week or a month and see what it feels like.
You might realize, you need social media. You might also discover that life feels way better without it.
One of the reasons I was nervous about leaving social media was missing out on the latest trends and fads. Will I no longer be able to understand people because I'll miss all their hip references?
To prevent this, I suggest finding other ways to stay current. I Google pop culture things that interest me and make sure to ask around when I don't catch a reference. My Gen-Alpha students are continually surprised by how much I know about slang and trends without being on TikTok or Instagram. Where there's a will, there's a way. Just get nerdy with it.
The biggest benefit of leaving social media is how much more time you'll have for other things. Instead of scrolling, I'm learning a second language and exercising every day.
Make some conscious decisions about what you'll replace social media with. The more satisfying your new hobbies are, the better you'll feel about taking the plunge and quitting social media for good.