Social Media Challenge:Did You Survive A Week Without Social Media?
- delbosques
- Apr 4
- 5 min read
Let's be real, we all know how ingrained social media is in our daily lives—whether it's checking Instagram over breakfast, scrolling through TikTok during lunch, or tweeting our thoughts at night. In my last post Social Media Challenge: Can You Survive A Week Without Social Media? of this blog series, we dove into the idea of leaving social media for a week, but now let's get to the fun part. What would actually happen if you took the plunge? Spoiler Alert: It's not about being very productive or finding inner peace. From major FOMO (because, of course) to surprising moments of freedom, the reactions to this digital detox are anything but boring. So, if you've ever wondered if you could last without your daily scrolling, buckle up. This is going to be a wild ride!
I challenged you all to take a break from social media for a week—and I’m curious, did anyone actually try it? If you did, congrats! You’ve successfully completed a digital detox. If not, no worries—you’re not alone. But, let’s talk about what could’ve happened if you had gone through with it (or if you just thought about it).
The First Few Days: The Real Struggle
Let 's be honest. The first few days without your phone felt like going through a withdrawal?! You were likely feeling disoriented as you kept trying to pick your phone up to do something on it 20 times before registering that you couldn't scroll. That was definitely real. The instant you wake up, you instinctively reach for your phone, only to realize there’s no scrolling to do! In those first few hours, your brain probably started firing off a million different thoughts. What’s everyone doing? What am I missing out on?
You’re not really alone. Many, many people wrestle with this concept. You might have seen your friends posting photos or updates from fun events that made you feel excluded in some way. You may wonder whether someone else’s life is more fun or interesting than yours. Trust me—this happens in time scrolling social media. But remember—that party you saw on Instagram probably was not as fabulous as it seemed. Perhaps everyone was on their phone taking photos instead of talking to one another. We forget there is a lot of life off the screen.
The takeaway here is matters of life do not happen on social media, and it is often something we forget when we are always on. The absence of constant access to time on social media means that you are likely not seeing everyone else's life parade on Instagram. And, yes, it’s completely fine to not be up to their standards. Life is taking place right next to you—not just on a screen.
The FOMO Struggle
And, let's not forget about the FOMO (fear of missing out) that immediately kicks in. Your friends were likely posting about what you were not part of, and you might have gone so far as to ask yourself, “What were they talking about?” It's like an itch that you can't just scratch. It can feel like everyone is having their best life just by looking at their stories and posts, while you're just sitting there, detached from it all. It's like leaving a party and watching everyone having a blast without you. But then, something exciting happens. However, just keep in mind, when it comes down to it, the world did not stop simply because you missed a post.
Let’s be honest—FOMO is a tough beast to conquer. Even if you started to feel the benefits of your break, that nagging sense of missing out doesn’t go away easily. You might’ve found yourself thinking, Am I the only one who’s not in on this joke?
You’re not alone. A lot of people struggle with this. Maybe you saw your friends posting pictures or updates about cool events, and it made you feel like you weren’t a part of things. It’s natural to wonder if everyone else’s life is somehow more interesting or exciting than yours. But remember—social media is a highlight reel, not the full story. That cool party you saw on Instagram? Maybe it wasn’t as fun as it seemed. Maybe everyone was on their phones taking pictures rather than actually talking to each other. We often forget that there’s a lot of life happening off-screen.
The Unexpected Benefits
After the initial craziness, something enlightening happened: more time! Without all of the time wasted scrolling through feeds, you suddenly had some time back to use for other interests: reading that book or just achieving some stillness staring off into the sky for a few minutes. The world got somewhat quieter, and for the first time forever, you weren't checking your phone every five minutes.
Instead of being so obsessed on checking your phone every few minutes, you can start feeling that time with something else - journaling your thoughts, going for a walk, working out, hanging out with your friends, cooking or baking something, maybe even reconnecting with an old hobby.
You see, did you even know how much you can get done in one day without the endless notifications social media offers? You found a few minutes of quiet, a few minutes where you could hear your own thoughts. If I had to make a guess, you also probably started become more aware of your surroundings where you may have noticed the sun on your skin, or the wind rustling through the trees. And, you know what, you did not die because you were not aware of every minute detail of what your friends were up to in every waking moment. In fact, I would imagine that you soon realized that the world was not just about your fees. You can learn to become comfortable with the quiet, and the stillness. There was no pressure to constantly be overwhelmed with information, opinions, and updates every single minute.
What did You Learn?
So, after all of this - what did you learn? Was the social media detox as life-changing as some might say? Or was it harder than you expected?
If you managed to go the entire week without checking your Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter —congratulations! That's an accomplishment on its own! You've demonstrated that you can live a full life without social media. You've spent time in the real world without the sense of having to keep up with everyone. You've experienced the joy of being present and how much more you can do and be without facing your touchscreen continually. But if you did not meet the challenge, that's fine too. It's possible you realized just how much social media is woven into your weekly activities. Maybe you simply learned that disconnecting is not as easy as you thought. Or, perhaps you discovered that social media is something that adds value to your life in a positive way.
Regardless, the main point is that you took the chance, and you learned something in the moment—whether it’s regarding your habits, your dependency on technology, or your ability to be in the moment.
What's Next? Considering Another Challenge?
For some, a break from social media for a week may have been long enough. Others may leave the challenge with the impulse to give it another shot. Perhaps, you've decided you want to go further this time, and try a month, or take a weekend off each month, and go completely unplugged. Now after a glimpse of life outside the screen, do you think you can try it again? If you do it again, perhaps you will bring some friends to support you and be a part of your challenge together. It might be difficult in the beginning, but at the end of the day it is about taking back control of your relationship with technology and finding a balanced lifestyle.
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