Facebook Took A Break, Maybe We Should Too

You may remember that for six hours last week, the world felt like it was ending.

Billions of people started panicking, confusion rocketed and we felt completely disconnected.

We’re not talking about the global pandemic that has changed our lives, or about the climate crisis that has caused havoc , but about Facebook going offline.

Monday, October 4^th will be remembered by many as the day Facebook flatlined, and a number of its apps, like Whatsapp and Instagram, also blacked out. Facebook alone has almost three billion users, which is more than a third of the world’s population, so the impact was felt almost everywhere.

The outage happened hours after a Facebook whistleblower claimed the company knows its platforms are used to spread hate, violence and misinformation. Naturally, speculation grew on the social media sites that were working at the time as people questioned whether it was a massive hack, a data breach or a simple error.

Whatever kickstarted it, the outage showed just how reliant we are on social media.

Apps like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have plenty of positives and have had plenty of positive influences on modern life, but when you finish scrolling through your feeds, you can feel anxious, drained or dissatisfied, so why not take a break?

Here are five simple ideas that can help you detox for social media:

1. Delete your social media apps. The cold turkey approach can be tough, but always remember that if you uninstalled an app that easy, it’s just as easy to reinstall if you need it.

 

1. Detox with a friend. A problem shared is a problem halved, so organize to do your detox with a friend so you can support one another and do activities away from the screen.

 

1. Put a rubber band on your phone. This simple trick can help you stop mindlessly picking up your phone as a physical obstacle snaps you out of autopilot for a second.

 

1. Set time limits on your apps. An app like “Freedom” sets up periods of time that you want to block all social media apps on your phone, giving you time to speak to other people in person.

 

1. Give your phone a bedtime. Pick a time at night that your phone usage is finished for the night and put out of your reach so you’re not tempted to go scrolling until the wee hours.