Why Reducing Social Media Consumption is It Girl Behavior
Lately, my digital footprint has been weighing heavily on my mind. If I could do anything, I would attempt to completely disappear from social media and wipe away my digital footprint. One of my It Girl Commandments involves working towards digital minimalism in a world where we are all overstimulated and media overconsumption has become the new normal. Having a screen time of 4 hours plus every day is not normal or healthy, and it’s time to stop pretending like it is and get our time back.
The Crux of the Problem
Did you know that the average person spends almost 7 years of their life scrolling on social media? That number for many of us is likely closer to 10 years, as the 7-year estimate is based on a daily consumption of 3 hours per day. Many of us scroll for upwards of 6 hours a day. When I deleted Tiktok permanently this past summer, I immediately noticed a reduction in my screen time. However, as someone who still maintains the use of Instagram primarily for work purposes (you should follow us on Instagram by the way if you haven’t already!) deleting Tiktok meant spending hours scrolling on Reels instead. Just week I feel like I’m getting over one app, another app is right there, waiting for me to get my dopamine fix between classes or after a long day of studying at the library. Studies show that social media is known to be addictive, and yet we minimize the impacts of too much screen time long term.
Social Media as a pharmacuetical drug
At the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist, I’d like to emphasize just how big of a problem it is to have anything have so much control over your brain, and by proxy, your ability to function and perform the habits necessary for a robust life. The idea that we are so captivated by screens is something I think is truly alarming when you think of how easy it is to get wrapped up in the colorful worlds of apps like Instagram and Tiktok. Documentaries like “The Social Dilemma” (2020) outline the ways tech companies intentionally use behavioral neuroscience techniques to make apps more addictive, increasing the time we spend on them, all while influencing our worldview in the process.
Neuroscience, pharmacology, and psychology are the fields that companies rely on to be the cornerstone of making our phones as addictive as possible, creating an unhealthy dynamic where we are effectively lab rats, and media and information are the drugs. This is super profitable for most companies as they can mine for data that they can sell to third parties for profit, oftentimes without our consent. It’s fascinating that even the CEOs and administrations of these companies don’t allow their kids to be on social media using the apps they created because of how addictive it is.
What Can We do?
So now that I’ve given a relatively dramatic depiction of the dangers of excessive social media use, you’re probably wondering what you can actually do to promote healthier use of the apps that have become so integrated in the ways we form connections and relationship.
Take accountability. I suggest being really honest with yourself about how much media you’re consuming and being especially conscious of what kinds of media you’re consuming. For most people, cutting out any and all social media use is difficult and unrealistic, but the first step is self-assessing how bad the problem is before making an effort to fix it.
Make a list of activities you enjoy that do not involve your phone. It’s important to do this step before any kind of detox because you will want something to replace the apps with. If you have activities you enjoy, replace your screen time with those. Some ideas include reading, writing, learning to knit, coloring books, and taking up a fun physical activity. This is also a good time to try something you’ve always wanted to do but have “never had time for.”
Do a social media detox. I have done social media detoxes in the past, and they can be beneficial as a tool for regulating your dopamine levels and forcing you to put the phone down. Try to take a break from all your accounts for a week or two and hold yourself accountable by both deleting the apps on your phone and logging out of sites on your computer. If you’re tempted to scroll on your computer, try a browser extension to block the websites you’re trying to stay away from. The longer you can stay away out of your accounts, the better.
Reflect. Once you’ve successfully completed your detox, it’s a good time to reassess things. Are there any apps you got rid of that you really need to have back? Is there anything you want to do away with for good? Did you notice any changes in focus and productivity? Thinking about these questions helps you get a good understanding of how to eventually reincorporate media in a healthy way that works for you and your long term goals.
Additional Resources
My favorite resource on digital hygiene is Cal Davenport’s Digital Minimalism. For those of you who are considering cutting out social media for good, this is a really amazing book about why excessive social media use can be unhealthy, and how to make real, meaningful change in the amount of time spent with screens. This book is available at bookstores, libraries, and apps like Libby, Audible, or Spotify if you like audiobooks.
With that being said, my mission since starting this blog has been to encourage you all to be your best selves, and we are well aware that posting on Instagram as part of our business model is in some way affecting your social media consumption. Our hope is that for those of you who continue to use social media and follow us on Instagram and Substack, you feel like our messaging is positive and contributing to your mental health in a way that is productive and motivating, and that the community we are building on these platforms are safe and inviting. As always, let us know your thoughts about how social media impacts us and ways you manage your consumption on Instagram. If you want more It Girl Archive, you should subscribe to our newsletter now available on Substack at Archives & Anecdotes. See you next week!