How to quit social media (and why you might consider it)

Is it time for a digital detox? Feeling irritable without your smartphone, losing sleep due to your tech usage and noticing an inability to sustain a real-life conversation without checking social media are signs you need a break. “If you’re stopping everything for a notification, ask yourself if you really have control over your life,” says author and productivity consultant Chris Bailey.

Here’s expert on how to quit social media and regain that sense of control – and the peace of mind that comes with being “unplugged.”

One 2017 University of Pittsburgh study found that heavy social media use can lead to a nine per cent increase in the risk of depression. This may be due to a psychological phenomenon called “social comparison.” When everyone else’s (heavily edited) lives seem happier than one’s own, self-esteem can nosedive.

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Delete all but your most essential apps (bye-bye, Clash of Clans). “Which ones are you using to pacify your attention, rather than to connect with others?” Bailey asks.

Your phone ruins your conversations – even when you’re not looking at it. A 2014 American study found that the mere presence of a phone was enough to divide participants’ attention and cause them to miss subtle cues from conversation partners, such as facial expressions.

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A 2016 University of California study found that subjects could only focus on a single screen-based task for 40 seconds before switching to another activity. “Flipping between apps delivers a dopamine hit to your brain because you’re wired to seek out novel information,” Bailey says. “When you detox, you notice patterns that are keeping you from focusing deeply.”

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Set solid parameters. Will you go offline for the same 24-hour period every week or try for a longer, one-off stretch? “Think back to when you felt the most rested and refreshed – say, a week-long vacation without your laptop,” Bailey says, and aim for the same time frame.

Unplugging doesn’t have to be all or nothing – start incrementally, with tech-free dinners or a no-phone portion of the day, then work up to an attainable goal.

If you can see your phone, you’ll reach for it. To stick to your objective, turn on the do-not-disturb function, then stash it out of sight.

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Should you abstain completely for more than a day, let family, friends and colleagues know that you won’t be responding to messages. This accomplishes two things: first, they won’t think you’re being rude. Second, announcing your detox helps you stick to it.

Once you’re tech-free, plan activities to fill the time you’d otherwise spend hunched over your device – like knitting, playing board games or reading a book.