.png)
As Christians, we know that anything we cling to more than God becomes an idol. Still, many of us cling to the apps on our little pocket-sized devices more than we cling to the Word of God.
Do we make cellphones and social media our idols intentionally? I don't think so. But does it happen? Yes! and perhaps more often than we realize. In fact, researchers have demonstrated that our commitment to social media platforms can have a complex negative impact on our commitment to our own creative, professional and spiritual lives. This is why a social media detox is important.
I'm not denying the good in social media. Many of you are probably reading this after clicking a link on one of my social platforms. Social media has the ability to transform lives, connect people, and spread good news. However, it also has the ability to do the complete opposite and this is where the problem lies.
Like with anything in life, we have to approach social media wisely. One way to do that is to use it, instead of allowing it to use us. Detoxing from social media gives you an opportunity to prove to yourself that you haven't made an idol of it. But it also brings with it a whole load of other benefits.
7 Shocking Stats About Social Media Usage
Before we cover the benefits of a taking a social media detox, we want to review several shocking stats social media usage based on https://www.itstimetologoff.com.
1. Adults spend an average of 8 hours 41 minutes a day on screens. That is more time than they spend asleep, at work and almost any other activity.
2. A 2016 study estimates that people tap, swipe and click their devices over 2,500 times each day.
3. In the last ten minutes, 34% of people have checked at least one social media account.
4. Two in five adults (40%) look at their phone within five minutes of waking up. Sixty-five percent of people under the age of 35 check their phone within five minutes of waking up.
5. 46% of American say they could not live without their mobile phones.
6. A study found that just seeing a social media logo can spark craving that are difficult to ignore.
7. Finally, ComputerWorld has found social media to be as addictive as crack cocaine is.
Pin It
Benefits of a social media detox
There are several spiritual, physical and mental health benefits of quitting social media (even if it is just temporarily). Social media detoxing will benefit you in the below ways:
1. Have more time with God
Time with God should always be your number one priority and social media pulls from that time. When you go on social media detox your spiritual life will soar because your time will be used for something so much sweeter than Instagram.
2. Have more free time to pursue your goals
Picking up your phone for 5 minutes while working on your goals can be disastrous because 5 minutes turns into 15, 15 into 30, and so on. When you're on a social media detox you'll notice much more time with much less distraction while pursuing your goals.
3. Feel less competitive
If there's one thing social media never fails to do, it would be making people compete. It's a human tendency to want to be better and that's okay. The problem is, until social media, the only person we wanted to be better than is ourselves, we just wanted to be better than we were yesterday. Today, we want to be better than random people on our feeds and that's not a healthy place to be in. A social media detox will help you live your life less competitively.
4. Live in the moment
Living in the moment is hard when you're scrolling through everyone else's past and present. Think about the last time you watched a beautiful sunset in total awe of its creator. If you could remember a time, well done! Most people would rather insta story that moment then live in it, and they don't even know what they're missing. A social media detox will help you fully live in beautiful moments like these.
5. Sleep better
Do you take your phone to bed? Most people do. One of the most popular excuses for taking a phone to bed is "I need it for my alarm." This is a bad excuse because an alarm is better further away from you, so you won't snooze it. And you know you're going to end up scrolling before you sleep anyway. The habit of taking your phone to bed not only messes with your sleep schedule but also with your sleep quality. A social media detox will help you sleep so much better.
6. Experience improved mood and health
Social media is the easiest way to encounter several different emotions at once. You can go from viewing a post that makes you happy, to one that makes you sad, to one that makes you jealous, to one that makes you angry, and it can go on and on. This will confuse you in such a way that you don't even know how you feel anymore. Not only is it bad for your mood but it's also bad for your mental health. The rate of depression has gone up since the release of social media and that's no coincidence. A social media detox will improve your mood and overall mental health.
7. Cultivate better relationships
If you had to go to a restaurant today, you'd probably see 90% of the tables filled with people on their phones. This has become so normal today that nobody even realizes how rude it is. It's not right to ignore the people in your presence and give your attention to the people who aren't. Relationships that lack attention slowly fade. If that’s not what you want, a social media detox will enable you to pay more attention to the people around you, thus helping you cultivate and deepen the relationships that truly matter.
8. Conquer your fear of missing out
FOMO (the fear of missing out) is a sensation that is all too familiar to us. It is easy to feel as though we are not making the most of our lives when we are constantly exposed to the highlight reels of others. Because of this, one might experience feelings of anxiety and insecurity.
Signs That You Need A Social Media Detox
Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to have a social media addiction to take a break from social media. You'll know you need a social media detox if:
You aren't spending time in prayer
You’re unproductive and distracted
You feel disconnected from your life and the people in it
You’re unable to sleep well
You scroll through other’s lives instead of living your own
You judge people or compare your life to theirs
It’s making you physically (eye problems, wrist, back and neck pains) and mentally sick (depression, anxiety and low self-esteem)
Social Media Detox Tips
Do you need a social media detox now that you've learned about the benefits of taking a social media break and cleaning up your feeds? If so, consider the below tips.
Don’t check your phone first thing in the morning, talk to God first.
Turn off all notifications
Text or call a friend instead of dming
Take a full 24-hour break from your phone and social media each week
Delete any social media apps that don’t add value to your life
Use an actual alarm clock instead of the alarm on your phone
Set a specific time for social media and stick to it
Take a hobby, read a book and be mindful of your surroundings
Don’t check your phone when you are with family and friends
Unfollow people who make you feel negative
Final Thoughts on Taking a Social Media Detox
Detoxing from social media comes with a huge list of benefits but one of the best things it does is grow your faith. Yes, one way it will help your faith is by giving you more time to spend with God.
However, that's not all. Detoxing from social media will actually give you an unbelievably better quality of life, consequently increasing your faith and gratitude for God and the beautiful life He has blessed you with. If you are ready to detox from social media, we have developed the perfect FREE printable for you (special thanks to Maryk Roux Terreblanche for creating this great printable. You can find out more about her by joining her facebook group.)
Corine Williams, Ph.D. is Clinical Psychologist that is currently seeing clients in the States of Maryland, New Jersey, and New York. You can find out more about her practice by visiting
www.therapyforchristians.com/corinewilliams. In addition to providing individual therapy, Dr. Williams is also passionate about writing books and designing merchandise that educate, uplift, and normalize mental health subject in the Christian community. You can find out more about her at www.booksbycorine.com or by visiting her amazon profile here: https://www.amazon.com/Corine-Hyman/e/B00AWZ5FL2
Help us increase mental health awareness in the Christian community by donating through our paypal link here: www.paypal.com/therapyforchristians, joining our mailing list by clicking below, or join our provider list here: Provider listing
Disclaimer: the information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this article are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are looking for a Christian counselor near you, please check out our directory located here: Christians Therapist Near Me
