Deleting Social Media Has Saved My Mental Health

Being a Millennial isn’t always as easy, breezy, fun as the older generation like to make out we have it. I don’t know about you but my Nan always talks about ‘the good old days‘, and she grew up during the Second World War, so what does that tell you about the 21st century!?

My life has revolved around the internet from an early age and I am sure you can relate. Whilst I wouldn’t want that to change, in fact I couldn’t live my life without it now, it definitely comes with its drawbacks with Social media being one of them.

More and more people are questioning these days, ‘Is Social Media good for my mental health?‘ Have you also found yourself googling: ‘Should I delete my social media?‘ Just the fact that people are asking these questions proves that we need to rethink our relationship with social media, and the social media needs to do more to support individuals.

The Downside To Social Media

Let’s be real here, social media is not really about luxury holidays, healthy lifestyles and the latest trends. That might be what you literally see, but it’s also:

– A business that needs to make money and therefore takes advantage of it’s users. We’ve all seen The Social Dilemma on Netflix right?
– A money making machine for ‘influencers’ who don’t necessarily care about their audience. In one post they are say they only need a handful of close friends in their life, but in another post they are celebrating 100,000 followers. Do they really believe in and use all the products they promote on their channels?
– A cause of anxiety due to the societal pressure to fit in or compare one’s life to someone else’s unrealistic life.
– A platform for people to bully, spread lies and fake news and mostly get away with it.

There are pros and cons to everything in life but when it comes to impacting our mental health, we can’t sit back and let it happen.

I Deleted My Social Media

9 years ago I made the decision to delete Facebook. It was around the same time that Instagram was gaining popularity and thankfully I never started an account.

It was whilst I was on holiday in Australia… but was I even there if I didn’t post it on Facebook? My Birthday was approaching and I started having anxiety that I wasn’t going to get many ‘Happy Birthday’ messages on Facebook. More comments and more likes equalled being popular, noticed and wanted. I didn’t actually care about people remembering my birthday, I cared about how I would be perceived by other people.

I knew feeling this way was not normal, how can an app have this much control over my emotions and feelings? In that moment, I deleted Facebook. It gave me back the control that the app had taken away from me. It then didn’t matter if I heard from people or not because they physically couldn’t find me and no one would know if I was popular or not.

I Saved My Mental Health

Now I am, ahem, slightly older and wiser, I know myself better in my 30s and realise now the damage that Social Media could have had on my mental health. I saved myself before it was too late. I don’t care if I am noticed or wanted, I have learnt to be my own best friend and my own cheerleader. If you want to discover how I have made this happen, read my post on 3 Life Changing Habits To Start In The New Year (Or Now).

Seeing first hand my friends that suffer with anxiety, needing constant reassurance, approval and comparing their real life to someone’s IG life, I am so thankful that I’ve never had Instagram for these reasons:

– I make better use of my time instead of endlessly scrolling through social media with no purpose.

– If I don’t see it, I don’t know it’s there, which takes away any chance for me to compare my looks or life to someone I don’t even know, and I never feel like I am missing out.

– I live in the moment and in the real world. There’s no pressure for the perfect picture or video, to seek approval from random people. Read my post How Social Media Is Ruining All Our Experiences for a perfect example of this.

Whilst travelling around Mexico I met an 18 year old, aka Gen Z. Having a conversation with him about Social Media made me feel SO old, but also like an alien. He was telling me how the girls in his class aspire to be an ‘Influencer’ as a career. I didn’t even know that was a thing! This is such a sad reality, what happened to aspiring to be a Doctor, Artist or Detective?

Do People Forget About Me?

If you’re worried about not staying connected with people, don’t be. Coming from someone who spends her life travelling, those you want to hear from and care about you, will message you directly.

Instead of my friends ‘tagging’ me in posts, I get sent a screenshot in a whatsapp. And get this, when I want to show my friends a picture I took of a beautiful sunset… I send it to them over private message. I know, it’s unheard of, but there really are other ways to communicate with people.

It might take a bit more effort but that says more about your relationship than a ‘like’ on a post.

It's Not All Doom And Gloom

There are some positives to Social Media too. It’s an amazing tool for businesses, especially small businesses. It’s one of the easiest ways to be found on the internet, grow brand awareness, speak directly to customers and ultimately drive revenue.

You can also pick up some good tips on doing your hair, nails and make up or for cooking inspiration. I have definitely used my friend’s IG account to find some nail art ideas.

Finally, it does keep you connected. You might not want to keep in touch with loved ones constantly, so dropping a ‘Fire’ emoji in their latest post is an acceptable way of communicating these days.

You’re probably wondering what I do with all my spare time? I get asked that question a lot when I tell people I don’t have Instagram. The same things that you do but for longer! I might read a book, write a blog post, meal prep for the week. I’ve also recently discovered journaling which I find very therapeutic. If it’s something you’re interested in starting, I would highly recommend The Five Minute Journal.

Would I ever go back to Social Media? Never. Deleting my social media has saved my mental health. I would encourage you to either cut down your scrolling time or delete your social media apps all together. You will be surprised by how much extra time you have and what you can now do with that extra time.

If you’re not ready to delete your social media accounts, I get it. But then we at least need to stop idolising ‘Influencers’, as per this post, 4 Reasons We Need To Stop Idolising Influencers.

I would love to know if you bite the bullet and delete social media, and how it’s made you feel, let me know in the comments.

Amber x