If you don’t know already, Apple has a new iOS 12 update called Screen Time that records the amount of time someone spends on any app. Not only does it record the amount of time in each app, it tracks how many times the user picks up or unlocks their phone in a response to their notifications. To say the least, the numbers I received were alarming.
This semester I am lucky enough to be heading to Europe for spring break and in preparation for my trip, for the last couple of weeks I have been trying to do a social media detox cleanse from the apps that consume many hours of my life.
This has not been easy. The first couple times I tried, I re-downloaded the app within days of deleting them off my phone. I know, embarrassing. The next couple of times, it only got easier. The reality is, it seems nearly impossible to be completely unplugged in today’s society.
My friends reference social media daily, whether it’s about other friends’ stories or celebrities’ posts. For jobs we have to be in the know. Social media is integrated in everything we do and ultimately we can’t get away. Although I’m painting a scary picture, there is hope.
The goal of the Screen Time setting is to put time limits on each app. Instead of jumping in the deep end, ease your way in to fix your habits if you’re anything like me.
As we head into spring break either to sunny destinations or across the world, I urge you to notice how much social media is apart of that experience. The point of having these vacations is to take a break, and that from means social media, too.
Use this week to truly take a break from it all. Unplug the phone and be in the moment. Take photos of the places you go but don’t worry about what other people are doing or what they think about your posts. Be active and in the present before your vacation is in the past.
