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 do a mini digital detox every so often. Just for a day. I do it mainly at the weekend. I allow myself to look at my phone maybe twice a day for 5 mins, just to check there are no important messages from loved ones. I will still use my audible app for books or podcasts. The main aim is to give my eyes a rest from screen time rather than social media. I’ve already cleared out any bad stuff from my socials. My insta is mainly dogs and cute stuff as scrolling that is quite relaxing. Who doesn’t want to see a cute pup at the end of a long day :)
I do a mini digital detox every so often. Just for a day. I do it mainly at the weekend. I allow myself to look at my phone maybe twice a day for 5 mins, just to check there are no important messages from loved ones. I will still use my audible app for books or podcasts. The main aim is to give my eyes a rest from screen time rather than social media. I’ve already cleared out any bad stuff from my socials. My insta is mainly dogs and cute stuff as scrolling that is quite relaxing. Who doesn’t want to see a cute pup at the end of a long day :)
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Sugar and Sloth replied:
Omg, I wanna see a cute pup at the end of every day! Ooh a mini, day-long detox sounds interesting Rose, how often do you do them? :) x
I’ve never tried a digital detox as I don’t think it would work for me, but a few months ago I did ‘clean up’ my social media accounts and removed people who I thought were toxic, or whom I felt I was comparing my life or body to (I’m sure most people make comparisons) or where I may have felt jealousy creeping in (I’m only human). It took a few days of me removing friends, but it was worth it. I also joined a fair few Taylor Swift fan groups and seeing those posts and our constant clowning over potential Easter eggs makes me smile / just having a whole group of people who loves her music as much as I do is like a nice warm hug. I made sure things like TikTok has a good algorithm of things I was interested in to make me happy when I scroll through that (mainly Taylor Swift, Disney, Cats and Raccoons). So for me it’s definitely worth investing time and energy into making my social media more rainbows and sparkly now than it having negative impacts going forward. 🌈
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Sugar and Sloth replied:
Yay for rainbow sparkly social feeds! It’s so lovely that you’ve found groups to make you smile, sharing our interests is, I think, one of the biggest joys of social media :) Well done for making your socials somewhere you want to hang out lovely! <3 x
Honestly I’ve tried a detox before and it just didn’t work for me either, felt like I was missing out on things and couldn’t keep up with everything going on in the world
Totally understand some people might have good experiences but everyone is different and I’d like to thank Anita for this post in the bestie library, it includes some of the steps I followed instead of ghosting my social media.
Hugs to all x
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Sugar and Sloth replied:
Hi Jordan, it’s so good to hear you’ve found a balance that suits you, how long did you try your detox for before you started to feel you were missing out? x
I totally agree with this, a few years ago I did a Facebook detox and only had Instagram and it felt good, BUT I run a business and therefore need a personal page to be able to manage the business page. I have done all of the above points, and Facebook and Instagram are definitely my cosy corners of the Internet. I also make sure the apps are not accessible right on the homepage of my phone so finding them in the menu is more of a choice than mindlessly clicking the app and scrolling. My twitter app just used to send me doom and gloom news notifications so I did delete that one 👌💖
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Sugar and Sloth replied:
Yay, I’m so pleased you’ve curated your own little cosy corners Jasmine, I’ll take that over doom and gloom Twitter notifications any day! :) x
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