Challenge: a social media-free vacation
Nomophobia, blurring, phubbing, and infoxication. All things you can develop if you have an unhealthy relationship with your phone and it could be that I already have some issues in a light form. That's why a social media-free vacation seems like the solution to me.
In three weeks and five days, I will (if we are still allowed) board a plane to my favorite spot in Greece. For the first ten seconds, I thought I was going to have a social media-free vacation until I realized that I wouldn't be allowed to share anything myself. I find that really a bridge too far, and that immediately shows how I am doing. It has to be social media-free. Only: how then?
While I am typing this, I receive a message from a friend, to which I want to respond immediately this time. After I click send and leave WhatsApp, I smoothly open Instagram and start scrolling. After three seconds, I realize that I was writing this and that sums it up a bit. I do social media thoughtlessly, and I feel like it dulls me. Time to dive into the depths of the internet for tips to cut back.
With my pants down. My screen time was four hours a day last week. Considering that I sleep an average of seven hours and work nine hours, that's pretty sad. The main culprit was WhatsApp, where I spend a lot of time for work-related purposes, and my navigation counts too, but Instagram and H&M (?) were in second and third place. On vacation, I want a screen time of a maximum of one hour per day.
2. Delete apps
To make it easier for myself, I can only keep one social media app on my phone. Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, and LinkedIn are going off. I don't count WhatsApp in this case, as I really see that as a communication tool.
3. Off the table
A phone on the table actually means that you can't distance yourself from the rest of the world, and that's precisely one of the things I'm going on vacation for. Therefore, my phone will stay off the table as much as possible. During the time I would normally be mindlessly scrolling, I talk, read a book, or stare into space.
4. Turn off your notifications
Now I have most of my group chats on ‘mute’ and my mailbox on silent because I want to read messages at a time when I want to read messages, but on vacation, I turn off all my notifications. If the shit (pardon my French) hits the fan, they will definitely call me.
5. Let people know you're offline
Probably no living soul will notice that you are online less, but you can let it be known in advance for your own peace of mind. This way, I inform my family that they should call me and not message me if there is really something, which makes me feel much calmer on that beach chair.
And of course, I will let you know how it went when I return. Are you joining me for my social media-free weeks?
