by Catherine Zhang '26
I Tried to Go on a Social Media Detox for a Month. Here’s What Happened.
Since coming back to school, I often find myself scrolling on my phone nonstop. Despite my screen time giving me a momentary “heart attack,” it hasn’t stopped me from hopping between social media apps. With my impending college application deadlines, I deleted Instagram on September 15th. The return date? TBD. To be fair, I’ve done something similar before, back in May — but that time, I had an anticipated return date. This time, I told myself I’d re-download it when I felt like it.
I’ve realized a pattern of doomscrolling: after school, before or after dinner, and before bed. These times combined could have been such great opportunities to hang out with friends, spark genuine human interactions, and recharge. I guess the thief behind that quality time isn’t simply my reliance on social media, but my fear of being disconnected from others — better known as FOMO. So the coping mechanism is rather straightforward: grounding myself in the present through real interaction with people, not in the virtual space.
There are several phases to a social media detox. The first couple of days are always the hardest. I constantly opened my phone, trying to find the familiar colorful photo-frame icon — but it wasn’t there. This time, I also blocked Instagram and TikTok on my laptop, aiming to fully disconnect. To distract myself from longing for these apps, I turned to reading or watching a movie. Once the withdrawal stage passed, I started to disassociate my phone from social functions and instead saw it simply as a tool — for calendar reminders, texting people who matter, and listening to music. There were still momentary impulses to log back into Instagram on my laptop, which I had to fight off.
Instead of strictly banning myself from any form of social media, I see this approach as more of a gradual limiting process. It’s about the mindset and determination behind the intention, rather than an exhaustive, complete break. The detox, tailored to each individual’s needs and preferences, can be extremely beneficial for mental health, physical health, and overall well-being. Throughout this process, I’ve re-established my reading habits, picked up new hobbies, and discovered new artists. Most importantly, this practice has helped me stay connected to the present and aware of what I have in the moment, instead of losing myself to the overwhelming noise of virtual reality.
Even if it’s not a month-long detox, a quick break from social media can do the same job. Undeniably, social media has become an indispensable part of our lives — but we always have the power to step back from it. Start with a day, a week, or even a month; I can’t guarantee that your life will change dramatically, but it’s been a genuinely helpful practice for me, especially during busy times.
I still haven’t decided when to return to social media, but one thing I know for sure is that I’ll always have the choice to press pause when I need to. Whether it’s a day, a week, or another month, I now know that disconnecting isn’t losing out — it’s tuning back into what actually matters. And I’ll always have the space to detox, to detach, and to stay present.