Digital Detox: Reclaiming Your Mental Health from Social Media

Are you reading this on a screen? Did you just check your Instagram? How often are you on your phone, instead of paying attention to loved ones? Is this taking a toll on work and relationships? According to recent research from the years 2004 to 2024, the amount of time we can concentrate has dropped from 2.5 minutes to 47 seconds. The rapidly shrinking attention span has been correlated to the use of smartphones and the advent of social media. Smartphone use has also been linked to mental health disorders, including ADHD and others, and continues to be the subject of rigorous research. Exposure to phones at an earlier age and constant scrolling of social media are causing unknown total effects on our brains and society. Still, there is a potential solution that wellness professionals are buzzing about: the Digital Detox. 

Apogee Behavioral Health advocates setting healthy boundaries on devices and would like to help you set some to protect your family, relationships, work, and sanity! Here is some education on how social media, in particular, affects behavior and the brain and how to incorporate a Digital Detox into your wellness program. 

How does technology affect our brains? 

Our brains crave excitement, social connection, and novelty, making smartphones and social media a real trifecta for capturing attention. But what does the use of these devices stimulate in our brains? Dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter for the “feel good” areas of your brain. It generates feelings of pleasure, satisfaction, and motivation. It also plays a vital role in controlling memory, mood, sleep, learning, concentration, movement, and other body functions. So what happens when smartphone technology meets neurotransmitters in your brain that signal pleasure? 

Smartphones are the quintessential bright shiny object, flashing notifications that, once checked, give your brain continuous and limitless dopamine rewards. The problems that can arise from this are addictions to these rewards and numbing to dopamine as well. Dopamine levels are related to disorders such as Parkinsons’, ADHD, and restless leg syndrome. Another byproduct of checking your phone for the quick reward is that when you check your phone, your brain stops what it is doing and moves to a new task. This impacts the quality and speed of the work at hand and also leads to the need to switch tasks more frequently. 

Technology, Social Media, and Society 

In the last half hour, 34% of people have checked Facebook on their phone. This statistic drives home how real this compulsion is. Social media is the ultimate dopamine hit, combining connection with people, instant gratification of imagery, and giving plenty of motivation to come back for more. The platform algorithms are designed to show you more of what you want to see, to improve your feed and engagement, and also to be able to show you pertinent advertisements to your preferences. Imagining a world today without checking a social media platform of choice seems unimaginable for many. It can be the first thing we do when we wake up, our consumer purchasing behaviors are often impacted by the endorsement of influencers, and the messaging, both visual and written,  travels instantly. 

This instant messaging and transmission can have very damaging effects on mental health, particularly in young people. Many guides, such as this one, exist to serve parents navigating this complex time where they are unable to put into context the messaging their children receive. Whether messaging from peers, messaging from influencers, or seeing new “ideals” of perfection from filters and a curated feed, many of our youth, and adults experience feelings of lowered self-esteem, increases in anxiety and depression, and sleep disruption as a result of social media use. It can feel overwhelming, hurtful, and impact healthy communication. 

Social media has innumerable impacts on our lives from our personal to our business relationships. Countless misunderstandings and hurt feelings arise from communicating via “liking” or “viewing”, let alone a careless comment. The wellness arena advocates digital detoxes to reset your dopamine levels and realign your priorities in relationships and work. Why not give them a try? 

Why a Digital Detox? 

Let’s discuss the benefits of digital detox, including improved sleep, enhanced concentration, and improved relationships at home and work. We can perform tasks better and with more efficiency and hopefully, refocus our attention on the present and what work needs to be done in our relationships, in real life. However, the use of smartphones for work, school, and communication seems impossible to put down. We have some guidance as mental health professionals, who know a thing or two about changing behavior patterns. 

Planning Digital Detox

First, set clear goals for the digital detox. Are you looking to reduce stress and improve relationships, or are you looking to improve concentration? All of these factors impact what this plan will look like and will help motivate you when you feel like picking up the phone. It is essential to look at a digital detox as more of an in-the-moment decision. You can set your own boundaries for how you run the digital detox including putting phones down at meals, allotting certain times as phone-free, and many other creative ways to reset your attention. 

4 Steps For How To Take A Digital Detox

Step 1 – Plan your detox. Are you detoxing for a week or just weeknights? Have a plan in place. 

Step 2 – Create clear boundaries and actions. Be clear on your boundaries and the actions you will take if you are in a situation that could cause you to break the detox. 

Step 3 – Alert friends and family about your plan and let them know how to reach you during the detox. 

Step 4 – Fill your time with meaningful activities and hobbies, spending more time with friends and family often is one of the most rewarding benefits. 

When you have the plan in place for your digital detox, it makes the process much easier to follow. Be sure to communicate to your network if you are planning a specific period of time to disengage completely, especially if one of your goals is to improve relationships. Filling your time with new activities and alternatives to phone time may be much more enjoyable and lead to even more decisions that are based on your own values and goals.

Tips for a Digital Detox:

• Make a phone-free zone
• Downgrade your phone
• Adjust Phone Settings to Not Include Certain Apps
• Completely shut off devices at a certain hour each day

When you reintroduce a Smartphone, you may want to do this gradually to maintain the new perspective. If you would like more information on how therapists or mental health professionals can assist you or a loved one in planning a digital detox or discussing your relationship with social media, reach out to Apogee Behavioral Medicine.