Why I Use Traveling as a Social Media Detox Strategy

When you travel, having a good internet connection is never a guarantee. We always feel like that is a bad thing, what if I tell you that it can turn out to be a boon? Finding the silver lining for every cloud is a favorite hobby of mine. It just helps me look at the world in a positive manner and have an optimistic approach to my problems.

Social media is not accidentally addictive, it is designed that way to make people spend maximum time on these platforms. Companies and developers behind social platforms have been actually reported to hijack people’s attention. All the design elements you see on your app have been created to cater to marketing agencies – psychology is used to make sure that it is as appealing as possible to the users.

And it seems the social network founders have hit the jackpot with their business model. Humans are now hunched and thumping on their devices continuously. We have forgotten to get out there and have fun. This is why a lot of people suggest social media detoxes nowadays.

For me, that is traveling, going places that don’t have a good internet connection has become more fun. It does need more planning than my other trips because I have to research as much as I can beforehand so that I am not stuck in a new place with no information about what to do.

While social media should not be painted evil, the intention behind its existence remains suspect. But users should not wait until the verdict has been given. Your attention is more important than ever, and guarding it should be one of your goals now.

Social media detox is one of the ways to protect it. This does not mean you should be quitting online platforms cold turkey. But it requires you to be intentional about the time you spend online. When you are traveling, you need to be present in the moment to observe the surroundings, to take in a new culture, to make new friends. If you are tapping away at your phones then you might as well have stayed home.

Having a weak internet connection isn’t the only way to ensure that you follow social media detox. You can tweak your phone settings – tweaking some of the settings on your phone can already make a world of difference. Turn off the notifications for your social media apps. Activate the Don’t Disturb mode. In some cases, you can also just go offline by turning off the internet connectivity on your device.

Have a No-Phone Rule, especially if you are traveling with a group because traveling together is one of the greatest bonding opportunities you are going to get. Take full advantage of it. Some people – friends, or families establish variations of the no-phone rule. For instance, it would be considered rude to check Facebook while you’re having dinner with friends or family.

Social media detox allows you to gain perspective on your relationship with and activities on social networks. It will help you understand how dependent you are on the platforms and how much it affects your lifestyle and thought process.

It also enables you to deal with the anxiety caused by social media addiction like FOMO which is short for Fear Of Missing Out. It is when you are anxious about updating your profile or staying connected that you need to disconnect. Whether it’s you or a loved one who’s going through one, the support of the people around you will have a lot of impact on how you deal with anxiety caused by being addicted to social media. So make sure to seek help or encourage someone during a social media fast.

Final Thoughts

Going on trips in groups with your friends and family or even alone is supposed to be a relaxing time, it is supposed to be giving you a break from your daily hectic life. If you are constantly milling away on social media then you are carrying the stress with you on your portable device – it is your portable external source of stress and anxiety.

Use your vacation and trips as a way to not only disconnect physically but also digitally so that you can truly relax, enjoy your time, and come back stronger with memories of your trip rather than memories of other people’s activities in your connections.