How hard is it to spend 14 days without social media on your phone? So no Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, X, WhatsApp and similar apps. Although it seems easy, for young people this is a difficult task.
While older generations (maybe) can imagine a day, even a whole Sunday without video games, streaming platforms? Is that even possible nowadays? A group of students from Bulme in Austria decided to find out, according to Blic.
– I noticed how much time I have when I don’t spend the whole day on social networks. I became more interested in music and art. In the second week, I was tempted to go back to the nets. Without video games, I lacked a sense of excitement, which was challenging. Also, I missed streaming platforms. I realized how addicted I am to social media, said a young man named Kilian.
The next comment was similar, and the student lasted six days.
– The first few days were brutal. I kept feeling like I was missing something. It was especially hard at the bus stop – I’m usually scrolling through Xu then, but now I was just standing there. After a few days it became easier, I went for walks more often. In the evening I did push-ups instead of spending time on the phone. I gave up after six days, Arnel said.
– In the beginning, it was not a challenge for me because school work was my priority. But I noticed how automated the finger movements are. Sometimes I would unknowingly open the app. It was shocking how deeply rooted these small movements are in motor skills. I started reading more again and now I want to keep screen time within reasonable limits, said Nora.
Another girl, Anja, said that she unknowingly clicked on the applications.
– In the early days, I would often unlock my phone out of habit and unconsciously click on Instagram or TikTok. I used YouTube for a week, but only to study chemistry. It wasn’t until the last two days that I got back on social media and felt guilty about it. Nevertheless, it was a useful experience, said Anja.
There were also those who found deviation in the habits they had when they were younger.
– I had both good and bad experiences. I kept feeling like I was missing something. I used the time for my biggest hobby – climbing. In the second week I got sick, so I read more books and long articles in NYT and Kleine Zeitung. “I set myself a goal to put my phone away more often, even though it’s not easy,” said Samuel.
Petar, on the other hand, was playing chess.
– After a few days I had withdrawal symptoms. It felt like forever since I last played a video game. I used my free time to watch documentaries about nature and philosophy. At school I played chess with my friends. After a week, I got sick and lost the will to do the experiment, he said.
Two weeks without social networks brought different experiences, from challenges and feeling of missing out to discovering new interests and more free time.
Although it was not easy, most of the participants realized how dependent they actually are on the digital world, he reports Liberation.
