Why the Digital Detox is so damn toxic
Hi Bestie!
Let's chat about something we've all considered at one point – the social media detox.
It's like declaring a timeout from the virtual world, hoping for a mental reset.
But, spoiler alert, it doesn't always play out as smoothly as we envision, well, it didn't for me anyway.
Loneliness, FOMO, and a rebound effect that hits harder than a Sunday evening.
Instead of ghosting your online life, I propose a different solution.
The Loneliness Tango
Imagine hitting the pause button on social media.
Sounds peaceful, right?
Well, when I tried it, I did not find inner peace, for me, it felt like stepping away from a cosy morning coffee with friends and finding myself in an empty room.
The isolation crept in, and so did the FOMO.
I felt like I was missing out.
Who knew my daily scroll was like a comforting chat with a bunch of besties?
I even started to miss the feeds of pages I didn't know in person, the ones who don't even know I exist!
Hi, Selfish Mother! - The moment I stopped my daily scroll Molly packed in her daily life running a small business, and jets off around the world, whaaat?!
The Binge-Worthy Rebound
Successfully complete the social media detox, and then what?
You waltz back into the scene only to be greeted by a flood of posts, updates, and memes.
It's like returning from holiday to find a pile of unread letters, and an overflowing inbox.
Suddenly, you're caught in a digital whirlwind, and clarity seems like a distant dream.
The Solution: Feed TLC
Before you think about ghosting your online life, consider this – a little (or a LOT of) TLC for your feed.
Unfollow the negativity, mute the drama (they will never know), and make your digital space a cozy corner of the internet.
It's not about cutting ties but about nurturing a space that lifts you up.
Taking control of your feed is like tending to a garden.
Prune away the unnecessary, plant seeds of positivity, and watch your online space blossom.
Follow accounts that bring joy, inspire you, and make you feel like you're part of a supportive community.
So, instead of waving goodbye to social media like it's a toxic ex, let's give it a warm hug and a little makeover.
Loneliness, FOMO, and post-detox chaos are no match for a gently curated feed.
Take it easy, tidy up, and let your online world become a garden of happiness.
Your digital self will thank you for it!
My IG, TikTok and Facebook feeds are now happy and colourful places to be.
Although, I did end up f**king off Twitter for good, as it doesn't give you the same control over your feed as the others.
Have you ever considered, or done, a digital detox?
Let me know!
I’m a huge fan of a digital detox. However I feel we’d benefit more from more discipline when it comes to socials. I’d happily quit them and get on with life however a lot of my friends and family use it to contact me these days. If I find I’m scrolling a lot I delete the app. I’ve been know to completely switch my phone off. I do think the world would be better without social media but it’s here now and going no where. We need to educate and regulate kids and hopefully things like FOMO and the need to detox will go. It is a huge issue in schools etc so a happy medium needs to be found.
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Sugar and Sloth replied:
Ooh, good points Cozi, I think you’re right that social media is here to stay, but it would be great if it wasn’t such an issue in schools! Well done for realising if you’re scrolling too much :) x
I get that totally. As someone who is mostly bedbound due to a combo of physical disabilities & chronic illnesses I rely on social media & mobile to keep in touch with people both for fun & for assistance/help/emergency reasons & use technology to read & listen to music as I rely on audiobooks to read & use my tablet to listen to music as I’ve got most of my music on there (both of which helps regulate me). Many people don’t realise that digital detox culture could be considered ableist.
I could never do a technology detox due to those things but times I’ve tried to cut back on social media I’ve ended up using it more. The only way it’s semi worked is allowing myself to post about what I read/watch on my reviewgram as & when I read etc & keep in touch with people via messaging apps but even that only lasted so long because it felt more like punishing myself by cutting my social life out, even if I get overwhelmed by news & such like
One thing that has worked longterm for me though is turning off notifications on some apps all together so I only see them as & when I use the apps & only getting tweet notifications for certain people on Twitter so when I’m on there I can choose between seeing everything or the people I’m most interested in.
Curating feeds seems like the best idea as it would allow me to contact people when needbe without worrying what I’ll see on my feeds.
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Sugar and Sloth replied:
Ooh, turning off notifications is a great shout lovely! If you do decide to curate your feeds, please do let me know how you get on :) x
I’ve tried to have a break from FB a couple of times and it hasn’t really worked, and I’d compare it to dieting – if you decide you’re going to stop having chocolate because you’re on a diet, then it’s all you can think about. It’s the “all or nothing” thinking that means any restriction is going to be difficult or impossible to maintain. In the end I chose to remove the icon from my phone’s front page so I have to go through a few more steps to get to it, and I try to do something else in the evenings rather than just scrolling. I removed Twitter last summer after it started to get really nasty, and felt better for that. But like a lot of people, social media is my main way of keeping in contact with friends, especially those in other countries, so dropping it altogether (even for a little while) isn’t an option.
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Sugar and Sloth replied:
Aw I think that’s absolutely ok lovely, if having a break from socials doesn’t work for you, don’t do it :) I’m totally there with you about Twitter too! I’m so pleased your socials provide you with a way of staying connected with your loved ones who live far away :) x
I appreciate my social media detoxes and they are an important part of my mental health habits. BUT I also can’t imagine trying to do a social media detox without having some kind of IRL support already established. You can’t just stop scrolling and chill, staring into the void. When I decide to do a detox I also plan a big weekend adventure with my hubby or a girls weekend at the beach. I tend to take at least one full week during the summer to unplug from work and social media. I read a paper book, connect with nature, paint, have a boardgame night with friends or an online gaming day, etc… When I log back in I also generally do a negativity cull and sometimes that cull ends in you deleting FB bc you realize it brings you nothing but pain lol but seriously, content culling is important for everyone and I’m glad you mentioned it here, particularly if detoxing isn’t helpful.
As always love your work!!
<3<3<3
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Sugar and Sloth replied:
Hi Renee, oh I LOVE the idea of planning fun things to do whilst taking some time away from your screen, and then looking at your socials afresh when you return! What big weekend adventures have you been on, they sound amazing? :) x
I check IG usually once a day and I find it cosy, comforting and interesting. I find a lot of benefit from it at times because I follow art accounts, things I’m learning about ie mental health, healthy relationships, spirituality, and art. I don’t have many actual friends on there, it’s just my cosy corner of the internet and I like that ☺️
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Sugar and Sloth replied:
Aw Laura it sounds like you’ve curated yourself a rather lovely IG feed, I’m so glad it brings you joy :) x
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