In today’s digital age, sharing is an integral part of life. No one goes on vacation, makes a career change, has a baby, or even eats an amazing meal without sharing it on some form of social media.
It's easier than ever to connect today. Perhaps that's why Facebook has approximately 2 billion users. As more and more people scroll through social feeds, however, researchers have begun to question the actual benefits of social media.
For this reason, despite the popularity of Facebook and Instagram, many people are distancing themselves from social media – and for good reason. A social media cleanse could do more than give you a much-needed break from Facebook: It may actually improve your health. 
What Is A Social Media Cleanse?
As the name suggests, a social media cleanse involves distancing yourself from any and every social media platform.
Whether it’s a 24-hour hiatus or completely deleting your accounts, many people are giving the cleanse a try.
What Are The Benefits Of A Social Media Cleanse?
While the name “social media” suggests sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are designed to keep people connected, too much of this surface-level connection causes more harm than good.
Here are five reasons to consider undergoing a periodic social media cleanse.
1. Better Sleep
Research shows that people who use screens at bedtime suffer more from insomnia and other sleep problems than those who don’t. The blue light emissions from electronic devices have also been linked to sleep problems and daytime sleepiness.
Browsing Facebook, scrolling through Twitter, and perusing Instagram don’t allow your brain time to properly shut down for a good night’s sleep.
2. Better Mental Health
The majority of social media users only post the good parts of life. They portray to the world their perfect existences without letting anyone see the mess behind the gorgeous photos.
For this reason, excessive use of social media often leads to feelings of jealousy and isolation.
In severe cases, these feelings result in mental health concerns like anxiety and depression. Researchers have even identified a connection between social networks, anxiety, self-esteem and one's personal identity.
When you give up social media, you remove these anxiety and depression triggers. You also allow yourself to base your identity on more than just what your followers see.
3. Improved Posture
Humans aren’t meant to walk/sit/stand in a constant state of looking down. Too much screen time during which your neck is bent forward (like over a phone while you’re browsing social media) actually affects posture. According to researchers, this can cause severe neck and shoulder pain, headaches, eyestrain and injuries to the arms and hands.
This can be such a big problem that people who spend their days head down in a phone or tablet end up with serious pain and spinal misalignment. Limiting the amount of time you spend on a computer can greatly improve your posture.
4. Less Eye Strain
It’s no secret that staring at a computer screen for hours on end is bad for your eyes. It leads to eye strain, which causes headaches and other issues.
The same holds true for cell phones and other devices. Sadly, we’re so obsessed with staying up-to-date on all the latest happenings on social media that we stare at these devices nonstop. Taking a social media cleanse can give your eyes a much needed break from staring at screens.
5. More Socialization
In a world where we're constantly connecting online, you would think that social media helps you be, well, social. However, research indicates that this may be far from the truth.
A survey found that, as social media use increases, the amount of time we spend in face-to-face socialization decreases. In fact, we've been spending less time socializing with others than we did twenty years ago.
Additionally, children learn better from live interactions and face-to-face communication than from screens. In a recent study, a group of kids spent five days in a camp without any social media or electronic communications. At the end of the study, they discovered that the children's in-person interactions improved significantly, specifically in reading emotions.
While social media is a great tool for seeing what your distant friends and relatives are up to, it isn't a substitute for personal interaction. Going on a social media cleanse, on the other hand, could push you to communicate more with others in person, rather than through a screen.
Should You Do A Social Media Cleanse?
While there certainly isn’t anything wrong with checking Facebook every now-and-then, a periodic social media cleanse is a great way to restore your mental and physical health. This is especially the case if you find yourself scrolling the feeds for hours a day.
If you’re ready to give this trend a try, you can start by cutting out all social media for a full week. Pay attention to how you’re feeling and strive to spend more time with friends and family in person.
If you have a hard time giving up all social media cold turkey, you could select one time a day to check for notifications. Try setting a timer for ten minutes and limiting the amount of time you spend scrolling.
After all, face-to-face interactions are always better than virtual ones.
Are you feeling drained and exhausted? Schedule a cleanse consultation with Matrix Age Management today to see how you can get your energy back.
