I have always prided myself on being someone who can resist temptations. I am comfortable saying “no” to a drink if I don’t feel like it, or passing on eating a chocolate doughnut if offered to me. In the past couple of months, however, I find that there are some temptations that I have built up zero immunity towards.
I’m not usually a major social media user, but recently, I downloaded Instagram and Snapchat at the behest of my friends. Since then, countless hours of my life have disappeared before my eyes, all invested in watching DIY shorts (“50 different uses for plastic bottles”), make-up tutorials (I don’t even know how to use make-up), celebrity wedding coverage, travel photography and sundry dub smash videos. None of these are topics that were of interest to me before I installed these apps, and they continue to not interest me, but inexplicably, I kept going back to them on a daily (ok, let’s be honest, hourly) basis anyway.
I found myself scrolling through my feed not only during idle times — while waiting for lifts, commuting, or watching milk boil — but also during times that are meant to be entertaining by themselves, like coffee and dinner breaks or at the movies.
Social media is a pretty distraction from life’s grisly realities, but at times I found myself feeling resentful of the things I saw online. How come other people got to go on paid vacations to picturesque islands, cuddle cute puppies and bake elaborate cakes without disastrous results?
Designing a change
So, I have decided to eliminate these negative feelings by going on a hiatus. This involves uninstalling these apps and changing my routine along with it.
This is my manifesto, and if you find yourself in a similar situation, you could probably try doing the same:
Morning routine: No more scrolling through various feeds absent-mindedly upon waking up. Instead, talk to other human beings (or actually start exercising instead of making empty threats to do so).
Combating boredom: Everyday, at least two hours of my life go off in limbo — standing in queues, commuting, waiting for other people and so on. This would normally have been the ideal time to scroll through various newsfeeds, but not anymore. Now, I have an arsenal of e-books and podcasts downloaded and ready to go, so that I can keep myself occupied without falling into a vortex of looking at bridal make-up pictures.
Resuscitating a dying hobby: If you’re like me, you probably have a lot of hobbies and interests that take a backseat in everyday life now. It’s a pity that something that used to come naturally before — like sitting down and reading a book — now needs to be scheduled in, but there you have it. On the bright side, imagine how much you could accomplish in a month, now that you have freed up so much time!
Letting breaks be breaks: Instead of using breaks to scroll through social media, spend the time talking to other people, doing something that relaxes you or gasp! — just sitting idle.
Paying attention to people and events: No more using social media as a distraction during social outings. If there is a lull in the conversation, pretend it’s 1999: you have no access to cellphones and you have to get through the awkwardness somehow without seeking refuge in your newsfeed.
Night routine: This is a tough one, because I’ve become accustomed to falling asleep while watching videos of nail art tutorials and inter-species animal friendships. By eliminating this from my routine, I hope to get more time to sleep (though I will sorely miss watching dogs and lion cubs play with each other).
This is all big talk from a person who has been social media-free for approximately eight hours so far, but if all goes according to plan, I’m hoping to become a transformed individual at the end of the month. And if I can do it, you can too.
The author is a psychologist and management consultant. krithvis@gmail.com
