13 things that can happen when you leave social networks (2023)

Lar Mental health

Why you might want to consider quitting social media

Social networks are full of contradictions. That can be fun, but also annoying. It can make you feel less alone, but it can also trigger feelings of isolation and inadequacy. And can we talk about the trolls? If you spend a lot of time on itsocial media, or your phone in general, it can be hard to imagine life without it. However, there are plenty of reasons to take a break from endless scrolling. If you're ready to take the plunge, here are some things to expect when you take a break from social media.

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You'll get more work done faster

When you don't have to worry about your devices buzzing left and right, you might find your productivity skyrocketing. "The problem with social media is that it interrupts us all the time," he says.Johanna Kantor, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Communications at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and author of the bookBesiege den CyberOverload🇧🇷 "When we keep stopping to check social media, it really becomes a different form of multitasking, and multitasking makes everything you do last longer and you do less of it actually."American Psychological Associationestimates that trying to juggle multiple tasks at once — like switching between Facebook and an important project — can cut your productive time by up to 40%. It's a high price to pay for a few likes and comments.

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You will let your creativity run free

If you're stuck in writer's block, it could have something to do with your social media habits. Cantor says the key to an imaginative mind is taking breaks every now and then while you're working on something other than social media. "Having that social media in the background and calling you and asking you things takes away from your creativity," says Cantor. By completely abandoning social media, you will get rid of those annoying notifications and unleash your creativity.

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You may feel anxious at first.

While the long-term effects of not using social media are generally positive, your immediate reaction may be stress and anxiety. These feelings are caused by a neurobiological shift away from constant connectedness. “When you use social media in an addictive way, which some people do, you have elevated levels of dopamine. When you stop doing that, there's some withdrawal," he says.David Greenfield, PhD, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and founder of the Internet and Technology Addiction Center. Luckily, these feelings don't usually last beyond the first few days of not using social media, so you might be able to enjoy the positive effects soon enough.

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You will feel less stressed

With social media access becoming so easy anywhere, anytime, we often feel compelled to pay 24/7 attention to what's happening in our news feeds and timelines. According to Greenfield, this urge to stay up to date with what's happening online leads to increases in the stress hormone cortisol. This increased stress can cause a whole range of problemsadverse effects on the brain, such as reduced memory and greater likelihood of depression. Staying away from social media makes you less prone to such high cortisol levels, which makes you calmer and more focused. learn more aboutWeird way social media affects your brain.

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You will feel more confident.

When we post on social media, we tend to only share the happy and exciting parts of our lives that we want others to see. This may seem harmless, but when we only see people at their best, it's easy to fall behind in comparison. This tendency to negatively compare ourselves to those we consider superior is what psychologists call upward social comparison. "Say you're struggling to have a baby," he saysMai-Ly Nguyen Wood, PhD, postdoctoral researcher and professor at the University of Houston. "Normally people wouldn't come up to you and say, 'Well, look how great my baby is!' or something like that. Although it feels like social media because we're posting to such a large audience.” A study by Steers and his colleagues found that people who used Facebook most often had experiences with ithigher levels of this social comparison, which was associated with more frequent depressive symptoms among users. If you log out of Facebook and other online accounts, you can hide much of that social comparison, and you'll end up feeling a lot happier and more confident. And not comparing yourself to others is one wayachieve body acceptance.

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you will sleep more

You take a quick minute to check an Instagram notification before bed when you suddenly realize you've been surfing, liking, and commenting well past your bedtime. Sound familiar? According to Greenfield, this has become a common habit for many people at night, who often spend an hour or two browsing social media in bed. "Think about it: if you do this every day, that's 15 hours a week you're spending on social media alone," says Greenfield. "It's not like going out to dinner with a friend, it's just watching someone play with their new hamster and then commenting on it." If you leave social media, rid yourself of this one extra priority - and get the powerful health boost of a good night's sleep. If you need an afternoon relaxation activity, skip the screens and try something more relaxing and less time-consuming, such as B. reading a book or planning the agenda for the next day.

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You strengthen your personal relationships

Sure, social media can be an excellent way to keep in touch with old friends or family members from out of town, but disconnecting from the internet can do wonders for your tangible friendships. Face-to-face interpersonal relationships are often far stronger than those conducted exclusively online, and taking a break from your social media accounts forces you to focus on those real-world interactions. "Getting off social media and spending more time in face-to-face interactions really helps your relationships, and relationships really are one of the most important determinants of well-being and mental health," says Cantor. (Social mediaObsession also has this downside.)

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You are less likely to get bored

Who hasn't picked up their phone while waiting in line at the supermarket and thought that checking their phone might ease their boredom? But Kent State researchers studying 41 college students found the opposite effect. "Surprisingly, boredom increased over the course of 30 minutes of social media use," he saysandre lepp, PhD, Associate Professor at Kent State University specializing in the psychology of social media use. When you're not mindlessly scrolling through your feeds, you can choose a more mentally engaging activity to quell your boredom, such as B. solve a crossword puzzle or read a book.

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You will sit less

Sitting all day can be just as dangerous to your health as smoking, scientists say. And after a long day at work, we increasingly use our free time to check social media – while sitting down. "People will say, 'Wow, I didn't know that because of Facebook, I had to sit an extra 90 minutes a day,'" says Lepp. Staying away from social media gives you more time for healthier pursuits. Just don't replace scrolling with playing video games or binge-watching Netflix. learn this1 Ways to Have a Healthier Relationship with Social Media.

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You will learn more about yourself

Once you stop scrolling through other people's opinions, chances are you'll learn more about what motivates you, not them. "As people move away from social media, they lose the temptation to get other people's attention and superficial feedback by posting where they went for dinner or vacations," he says.Tom Kersting, LPC, Licensed Psychotherapist, Family Counselor, and Author ofDisconnected: How to reconnect our digitally distracted kids. „This need to be relevant in the eyes of others will spiral out of control and lead to self-discovery.”

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Your ability to make decisions will improve

Many people's beliefs and values ​​are influenced by what they read on social media. Half of Facebook users, according to a Pew Research studyreceive their news only on the website🇧🇷 "Many decisions that people make are not about thoughts, but about a collective conscience," says Kersting. Remove yourself from social networks and you will learn to think more and make decisions and decisions independently.

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You will fight less

It's a lot easier to type a scathing comment when you're hiding behind a screen than it is to hurl an insult when you're in the same room as someone else. But when you stop using social media, you step out of the fray and are less emotionally charged. "That way you don't have to carry it around with you all day because you're upset about what someone posted," says Kersting.

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You will develop more emotional intelligence

Not only can getting off social media make you a nicer person, but it can also help you develop your emotional intelligence, a valuable skill in the workplace. But it requires you to interact with other people. "If we sit in front of a computer screen for hours, we exclude the possibility of personal interaction and reduce our emotional intelligence," says Kersting. Taking your head off the screen and having real conversations can improve the quality of your relationships and help you develop this crucial skill.

Clinically verified by Ashley Matskevich, MD, on March 19, 2020