Like many of you, I once spent my free time going down the rabbit hole on social media for hours on end, scrolling past people who I’d probably never meet in real life. This is your sign to delete those apps for a while. 

Last semester during midterm week, I noticed that my screen time was alarmingly high — especially because I had important exams coming up. I decided to temporarily delete the apps that I spent the most time on (Instagram and TikTok), but I ended up sticking with it for months. I still don’t have either apps  and I feel significantly less stressed in all aspects of my life. Here are a few reasons why you should try it out.

You’ll have more time for school work and feel extra  motivated! According to the World Economic Forum, “global internet users spend an average of two hours and 27 minutes per day on social media.” This means that if you’re  someone who spends about two hours a day on social media, by deleting these apps you could have about 60 extra hours each month. Being a college student, time management is so important and it can be hard to find enough time in the day to get everything done. This can be one way to feel less stressed about school and maybe even improve your grades! 

You’ll have better self esteem and your overall mental health will improve because you won’t be exposed to the social pressures that social media promotes. Constantly looking at Instagram posts or TikTok videos is unhealthy for many reasons. As editing apps become increasingly prevalent, you might find yourself comparing yourself with somebody who doesn’t even look like their own photo or video in real life. 

Additionally, the majority of social media pages only show the highlights of people’s lives that they choose to show. Many people will compare themselves to influencers who portray their “perfect” lives, without realizing that their lives likely aren’t as amazing as they seem to be online.

I urge you to try just one week without social media and see how it goes. Even if you’re not up for the challenge of deleting these apps, there are still other beneficial ways to adjust the way you use social media. For example, it can be really helpful to start and end your day without social media. Instead of checking social media at these times, try journaling! Starting the day by scrolling on Instagram or TikTok increases stress even if you don’t realize it. The constant comparison between yourself and other people can become overwhelming. On the flip side, going on your phone before bed can make it harder to relax and fall asleep. 

Social media does have its benefits, but it can be easy to become consumed by these apps that don’t have the users best interest at heart. These kinds of apps are purposely addicting and want users to spend as much time on them as possible. Instagram is much different now than it was before. It used to be for people to connect with family and friends, but is now used  for keeping up with trends and setting unrealistic standards.