I Took A Week-Long Break From Social Media. Here's What I Learned.

First off, I want to say that I do not hate social media. Those who know me know that I love it. Social media has allowed me to connect with friends and family from around the world, keep up with people I admire, and share my thoughts and opinions on subject matters. But like that old saying goes: Too much of a good thing isn't always a good thing. There were times where social media took a toll on my mental health. Social media can be breeding grounds for comparison and negative self-talk. Many times, I would hop on Facebook or Instagram and instantly, I would find myself comparing myself to my peers and other people I follow. Internally, I was thinking things like, "I wish I was as successful as __" or "Why can't I be as pretty or bold as __?" Additionally, I found it hard to focus on things that really matter, like my relationship with God and school.

So God put it on my heart to delete the social media apps off my phone (except for Snapchat) and take a short break off social media to regroup. It wasn't easy. I felt disconnected, but I knew in my heart it would be worth it and was very much needed. Here are some things that God revealed to me/I learned:

1.) My worth, validation, and identity are found in Christ alone, not the number of likes I get on a post.

Don't get me wrong. I already knew this, but at times, I would forget that or not believe it. There were times where I would delete and repost something because I didn't get any likes within the first few minutes that pass by (RIDICULOUS I KNOW, but it's true). This social media break, as I mentioned earlier, has started to help me solidify and reroot my identity in Christ. During my break, I started this bible reading plan on the YouVersion app centered around our identity in God and this quote from the devotional stuck out to me:

"As a Christ-follower, you don't have to look for the approval of others because you're already approved by God."

I was reminded that because God delights and approves of me, that my identity is found in Him and Him alone, not if my post gets 1 like or 100 likes. I am all HE says I am.

2.) Take time to appreciate the beauty of His creation

When we have our heads buried on our phones, it can be easy to miss the beauty of the world around us. A few days ago, I was walking to class when I saw leaves falling on a bench with the sun shining so brightly on it. It was a beautiful sight. I thought to myself: "You could've missed it if I was so focused on my social media feed." I then thought about all the times I must've missed time to appreciate this beautiful world BECAUSE I had my eyes focused on my social media feeds. It can be so easy to miss the real world around us when we're caught up with the online world.

3.) I am uniquely made in His image

One night I read Psalm 139 (one of my favorite psalms) and verse 13 really struck a nerve in me. It says:

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb."

Last weekend, I attended a women's conference and the speaker talked about comparison and how we need to live out who God has created us to be. This verse reminded me that there is only one of me, uniquely created to carry out a specific assignment for the Kingdom. God then put this thought in my heart: "Imagine how I feel, the One who created you, when I see you comparing yourself to other people." LIKE WOW. It hurts when the God who created us, sees us look at ourselves and our lives with disgust when He delights in ALL of us, from the hairs on our head to the intricate little quirks of our personality.

4.) There are other ways I can preoccupy myself.

When I have free time/am bored, I would instantly hop on social media and mindlessly scroll through my feed. It's not the only way I spend my free time, but it is a huge way. This social media break really challenged me to find other ways to spend my free time. One way I did this was by finding movies to watch on Netflix. I chose the second and third movies in Lord of The Rings trilogy because I hadn't seen them yet and was meaning to (they were FREAKING FANTASTIC BTW and took a couple of days to get through. (Legolas and Gimli are my new friendship goals). Anyways, back to my point. Another thing I chose to do is catch up on my reading, watching sermons on YouTube and listening to podcasts. This break showed me how much I use social media and how it's not the only thing I can do to keep myself occupied during my free time.

Overall, while this break from social media was difficult, it was much needed. I would definitely recommend taking some time off social media for as long as you want and just simply delight in the world around you, rediscover things you love to do, or try new things, or simply just because.