From Likes to Life: Rediscovering Myself During a Social Media Break

 

A few months ago, I went out with my friends for lunch at a beautiful seaside restaurant along the East Coast Road. The view was stunning—people playing on the beach, fishermen guiding their boats, friends laughing as they braved the waves, couples deep in conversation, children flying kites, and athletes practicing surfing against the rhythmic crash of the tides. It was one of those moments that felt picture-perfect.

 
As I soaked it all in, I realized my phone battery had died. At first, I thought it might be inconvenient, but soon, I discovered something refreshing: I was completely immersed in the moment, undistracted. There were no notifications dragging me out of the conversations with my friends, no impulses to capture the view for Instagram stories, no dopamine hits from new messages or social media updates. Just pure, unfiltered presence. It was calm, pleasant, and deeply soul-satisfying.

 

But then, reality hit. As soon as I got home, I plugged in my phone, and the flood of notifications began—especially from social media. I found myself diving headfirst into the usual cycle: information overload, comparing myself to others, responding to messages, endlessly scrolling through reels, and of course, anxiously checking for a response from my crush. I couldn’t deny the high that came from it, but I also couldn’t shake the emptiness that followed.

 

This triggered a realization 👉 while social media can be a great tool for staying connected, expressing creativity, and even marketing, it can easily turn into a time-consuming trap. I noticed how often people around me, even when they were with loved ones, were glued to their screens, missing out on the real-world moments happening right in front of them. And I wasn’t any different.

 

Would you enjoy a dinner with friends if they spent most of their time staring at their phones? It’s uncomfortable, right? You’d feel like the conversation isn’t valued. That’s when I made a choice—I deleted all my social media apps, including Instagram and Snapchat. I was tired of overstimulation, tired of the pressure to share every detail of my life for likes and comments, and tired of feeling disconnected from the people right in front of me.

 

Here’s what changed for me after this digital detox

Ø  No more pressure to overshare- I no longer felt the need to constantly post updates or stories about my life.

Ø  Real connections revealed-Without the constant buzz of notifications, I realized who my true connections were—the people who genuinely wanted to have meaningful conversations with me, not just exchange small talk.

Ø  Reduced overstimulation-Without social media constantly vying for my attention, I felt a calmness I hadn’t experienced in a long time.

Ø  A clearer perspective on people-I realized that the personas we craft online often don’t align with who we are in reality.

Ø  Real-life updates - became more meaningful I found that hearing about someone’s day in person was far more valuable than seeing it play out through photos and captions.

Ø  Better use of my time - I began investing the time I used to spend scrolling in more fulfilling activities.

Ø  A sense of presence- Most importantly, I started living in the moment more—whether that was savoring a conversation, enjoying nature, or simply being.

 

This decision gave me back control of my time and focus. It helped me build deeper connections with the people around me and reduced the noise in my life. The biggest lesson? Being present in reality feels infinitely more rewarding than the fleeting highs of the digital world.