Will a month-long tech fast change you?
In short, no. But a lot can change if you're willing to alter your habits.
Social media is a gamble on your emotional state. Slide a coin in the slot, pull the lever: joy, jealousy, fury, a mystifying mix of all three? This is what we do, every day, in little moments, under the guise of relief from reality.
This month, I stepped back from screens, only using them as tools for work and connection with family and friends. To start, I was scared, dreaded relinquishing my nightly scrolls and part-time job watching YouTube (seriously, I was watching 20 hours per week). Now, standing at the end of the experiment, for the first time in a while, I feel awake and refreshed, with an urge to focus on what makes me feel most alive.
Was it easy? No.
Was it worth it? Yes.
If you’re interested to hear how my month went and how it could go for you, I’m sharing my retrospective here.
Are you radically altered after not using screens?
Well, no. A month felt long enough to feel the benefits of no screens, but short enough that I could take up all of my screened entertainment tomorrow morning and easily pretend like the last four weeks never happened. I do feel changed, though—calmer, more creative, my attention span and ability to be with my own thoughts significantly lengthened.
Simply put: I have felt the advantages of not being tethered to my phone, and it is now in my power if I want to continue feeling this way.
The biggest difference has been perspective. It is one thing to understand that social media takes your emotions for a whirlwind ride with every scroll, and it is quite another thing to do something about it.
We all know social media is bad for us, but we keep engaging, thinking it’s good enough that we are aware of the downsides. But that does not keep the negativity from storming in, from making you feel worthless, resentful, or like your life will all come together if you just try this new workout/diet/morning routine prescribed to you by a non-credentialed stranger on the internet.
A month can give you clarity and assurance that what you needed already belongs in you.
What changes did you witness?
In my initial post of this series, I listed six improvements on which I hoped to make progress. Let’s see where I landed.
Rating scale: Strong-Fair-Weak
Ability to sit with uncomfortable thoughts and silence without reaching for my phone
Fair: If my phone is in front of me, I will occasionally check it because although I love WFH, I often crave random interaction. However, many mornings this month, I had to pull myself from bed because I could stare into space thinking about story ideas and upcoming plans for honest-to-goodness hours. Now, I welcome my thoughts to come and go without the need to distract myself from them.
More time spent creating than consuming
Strong: I wrote seven stinkin’ stories—one short story, two flash, four microfiction. A great effort, but more importantly, I came to this work with renewed excitement, ready to give it my heart. I promise that if I, a procrastinator to the death, can experience this transformation, you can, too.
Slower days without the time-suck of apps. Give me back my attention span.
Strong: Weekends will never be long enough for me, but during this month, I had so much time for hobbies. Reading, writing, and all that comes with writing (revision, researching lit mags, submitting, self-loathing following rejection) easily take up my evenings and weekends. So while I don’t mind feeling bored and have felt so many times during this experiment, I had plenty to do, too.
More meaningful time spent with the real people in my life
Fair: This winter has been a real drag, which has kept me inside, in close proximity to the radiators. I did enjoy two writing-related outings and two lunches with family and friends. (The header image came from a recent get-together with friends who had an art show hanging in my college town.) I came into these encounters more excited and open-minded due to my time offline.
Better self-esteem and mental health
Fair: Removing social media’s power hold over my attention has vastly improved my mental health. I feel emotionally regulated, my critical thinking strengthened and negative feelings diminished. Self-esteem levels have slightly increased due to a lack of comparison. I’m not cured from feeling low/poor about myself, but there has been a definite upgrade without the added noise of the internet.
Consistent sleep patterns
Fair: I’ve consistently been going to bed 1-2 hours earlier than usual. This is great news! On the flip-side, due to winter, I still love snoozing well past my alarm.
Other notable mentions:
Books read: 5.5
Stories written: 7
Story submissions: 9
Story rejections: 4
What changes will you permanently implement after this month?
Continued absence of social media apps on my phone: Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. If I want to check in, I can use my computer/TV.
YouTube: pare down subscriptions to several channels. Honestly, I haven’t even missed YouTube. There is one true crime channel I follow that comes to mind when I think of content I miss, but so much, I realize now, has been silence filler.
Podcasts: only listen during specific times, like while I use my walking pad. Do not use as a way to constantly fill air space.
No spending weekends mindlessly consuming. Weekends are a period to relax, yes, but also a time to create and touch base with off-screen hobbies after staring at a work computer all week.
The Final Weigh-In
This week, my daily average screen time remained similar to last week, with a slight increase of six minutes. I was way more social than the previous two weeks, as witnessed by the combined four hours spent on Discord and Messages.
Overall, my daily screen time is down two hours from the start of the month, and of the three hours per day I spend on my phone, around one hour is spent using a workout app. I am happy with these numbers and also happy knowing there is room to continue improving beyond this month.
What’s Next
Watch this space for personal essays and thoughts on the writing life. Next week, I’ll be sharing how I found writing community as a 20-something introvert during the pandemic.
What I’m Reading
The Nix by Nathan Hill
I read Hill’s Wellness last year and enjoyed the winding, experimental way he unfolded a 20-year marriage in peril. So far, The Nix feels similar, albeit focused on an estranged mother-son relationship.
You made it! I’m very proud of you. ☺️