leaving social media — Blog — Miss Magnolia Says

What I Learned After Taking a Break from Instagram

I wasn’t someone who had used Instagram as a “before or after school activity.” I had used Instagram for short bursts in every unfilled sliver of time that appeared throughout my day.

If I finished answering all the important emails in my inbox, I would open the app and scroll for a minute or two.

If I was waiting for a staff bathroom to open up, I would scroll for the minute and a half while standing in the hall, waiting.

If I made a phone call and was waiting for the person to pick up, I would scroll for 15 seconds. It was short, but constant bursts of time that effectively ensured my brain never rested for a single second while I was awake and not actively engaged in something else.

Emily RoseAugust 21, 2023digital detox, taking a break from social media, break from instagram, leaving social media, social media breakComment

Goodbye, Instagram (Please Still Send Me Pictures of Your Kids)

I regularly want to get off all social media channels but I haven’t, because I’ve always had one totally rational reason or another not too. Here are those totally reasonable reasons:

1.) I live far away and I want to know what is going on in my friends’ lives/ see their cute kids in their Easter outfits.

2.) I started blogging semi-seriously three years ago and it feels impossible to be found on the internet or considered legitimate without an Instagram (even if no one finds you because you are an “artist” and only “teenagers doing a perfectly choreographed dance” or “dogs” go viral).

3.) I don’t wanna.

But the reality is, I do wanna.

Emily RoseJuly 17, 2023leaving social media, how to leave social media, taking a break from social media, digital detoxComment