So, I decided to do something wild—something dangerous—something most people only do when their Wi-Fi goes out.
I deleted all my social media apps for a week.
No Instagram. No Facebook. No Twitter (or whatever it’s called now—X?). No TikTok. No mindless scrolling while pretending to listen during Zoom calls.
I was going full digital monk mode. And let me tell you: it was peaceful, weird, and honestly, a little scary.
Day 1: The Thumb Panic
You never realize how addicted you are until your thumb starts opening apps that aren’t there. I’d unlock my phone, stare at the empty spots like they’d magically reappear, then awkwardly scroll through my weather app like it was TikTok.
Spoiler: the weather is not that entertaining.
Day 2–3: The Quiet Is Loud
Here’s the thing nobody tells you: when you stop scrolling, the silence is loud.
Without notifications lighting up my phone every five seconds, I started noticing weird things… like my thoughts. Yikes.
Suddenly, I had time to think about life, the universe, and why I said “you too” when the waiter told me to enjoy my meal three years ago.
It was… uncomfortable.
Day 4: Withdrawal or Freedom?
By midweek, the FOMO started to fade.
I stopped wondering what everyone else was doing and started wondering what I wanted to do. I read an actual book (with pages!), went on a walk without needing to “story” it, and even made coffee without photographing it like it was my firstborn child.
Was this freedom? Or had I completely lost it?
Day 5: Real Conversations?!?
Without the endless scroll, I actually talked to people. Like, with my voice. In real time.
I had dinner with a friend and didn’t once check my phone under the table.
I called my mom just to say hi (she immediately assumed something was wrong).
I even made eye contact with strangers. STRANGERS.
It was kind of magical… and kind of weird. Who knew humans were this interesting without filters?
Day 6–7: The Scary Part
Here’s the part that scared me most:
I didn’t miss it.
The endless likes, the curated posts, the news that ruins your day before you’ve had coffee—I didn’t miss any of it.
What scared me wasn’t being away from social media.
What scared me was realizing how much of my life I’d been living on it.
I was documenting everything—meals, sunsets, my cat’s half-interesting behavior—not for memories, but for validation.
I wasn’t sharing life. I was performing it.
So, What Now?
I won’t lie—after the week ended, I redownloaded a couple apps. But I see them differently now.
They’re tools, not lifelines.
They’re distractions, not destinations.
They’re fun in small doses, but they don’t deserve every spare second of my life.
Because the real world?
It’s quieter, slower, and—once you get past the awkward silences—way more real.
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