Breaking Free from the Bondage of Browsing

Alyssa Hill

As college students, our time is taken up by classes, jobs, and relationships; but, what if, for some, our biggest time drainers are our phones? While this may not be a problem for some people, it really takes a toll on others. Whether it is scrolling through TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, or tapping through Snapchat, there has been a point in almost all our lives where we were practically addicted to social media. For me, it was during high school. My body was changing, and I was looking at other girls and comparing myself to them. My mental health sank.

As I have advanced through college, my relationship with social media has changed, but not necessarily for the better. Rather than going on there to compare myself to my peers physically, I found myself comparing the events of my life to theirs. I also spent my free time scrolling through TikTok for hours on end…which is embarrassing.

To cleanse my psyche and try to kick these habits, I unplugged from social media for a week. Here is what happened during my detox:

Wednesday, April 5

I started a book that I’ve been wanting to read. It has been a while since I read for fun.

I watched the Super Mario Bros movie with my boyfriend, Zack. Jack Black came through with his vocals. I didn’t have people on Facebook posting low-quality pictures of the storm which was unfortunate. The only alert I got about a storm was from the national weather warning alert.

Thursday, April 6

I felt out of touch because I didn’t get to see the inspirational quote that my Nana shared for the day on Facebook. What is the meaning of life?

I went to class, then to the gym with my friend, ate at Panera, and watched Game of Thrones with Zack.

Friday, April 7

I redownloaded games onto my phone…desperate times call for desperate measures. Rather than scroll through TikTok during my break at work, I found myself playing Eatventure…

Saturday, April 8

Zack and I drove to see our families. I wasn’t on my phone much anyways. When I got home, I played my ukulele, which I haven’t done in a while.

Sunday, April 9

It was Easter, so I was pretty busy. Thankfully, I couldn’t see the terrible picture my grandparents probably posted of me.

My friend texted me and told me that Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn broke up.

Monday, April 10

For the first time, I realized that I used TikTok like Google. I began keeping a list in my phone’s notes so I can search it when I get back on.

Tuesday, April 11

I went to the gym with my friend again. We also had some IHOP, and I ordered the softest blueberry pancakes I have ever had. Breakfast food is my guilty pleasure. Afterwards, I went to Panera and worked my little 4-hour shift. I ended the day by reading more of my book.

My Digital Detox

Cleansing myself of social media for a week wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I used to be chronically online during high school, but in college I don’t use it anymore. To be completely honest, I have spent more time on my phone this week than I usually do. I downloaded a couple games that really made me lose track of time and to my dismay, did the opposite effect of what I wanted to do during this experiment. Going further, I will have to part with some of these games because I lost a lot of my free time that I gained.

I noticed that I spend most of my time on my phone when I am alone in my apartment and my boyfriend is at work. When he is home, I barely even touch my phone. Since I’ve gotten into a relationship with him, I don’t feel the need to go on social media or even be on my phone. He rarely goes on social media besides scrolling Facebook for a second or two, so I have adopted his habits, or lack thereof, with social media. His social media abstinence is truly a blessing because privacy is the best way to keep relationships healthy. I spent my teen years looking at other couples, comparing them to my relationships, and to my growing insecurities. Without those pressures, we would have just been able to co-exist and love each other.