As a mom of two young kids (and another on the way), the convenience of being able to swipe for entertainment, words of motivation, or seconds of reprieve from chaotic home life can be a godsend. 

Social media definitely has its perks. But constant access to social media and the habits we form can also be detrimental for our mental health and actual social relationships.

I’m no scientist, although I did major in sociology for my undergrad decades ago, so instead of sharing harmful effects of social media I will share the benefits of detoxing from constantly scrolling.

Benefit #1: Intentional connection building

Life as moms can be so overwhelming. When you have young kids constantly requiring attention you tend to feel overstimulated by the end of the day. I know I retreat to the couch and want to scroll my way out of reality from all the “mom” yelling – even if it’s just for a couple of minutes. 

Does a real retreat ever happen? Have I ever felt the peace of being able to get away mentally by scrolling? 

No. Because my kid is asking for attention for a reason. Unless I figure out why they’re constantly calling me there’s no way an attempt to scroll through social media will solve anything. It typically ends up in higher pitched yelling or drawing on walls. 

A social media detox really gives me the space to prioritize trying to understand what is going on in their mind. Instead of grasping for my phone to scroll I’m thinking about what they could possibly need that has them frantic for my attention and how I can help them successfully communicate their needs. 

Benefit #2: Time for activity planning

According to Forbes, Moms turn to social media 18x per day! It can be a very handy resource, especially when you follow accounts sharing activities and events for families. But more often than not, clicking into the app leads to more scrolling time than actually looking for references. 

When I removed the social apps from my phone, I perused through Google and found the same information I needed without the extra swiping. I didn’t find myself wondering why I was tuning into endless reels from just looking for an address. I went on my phone for a purpose and left fulfilled only spending a few minutes doing so. This gave me more time to think about the day’s activities instead of the dead time scrolling.

Benefit #3: Encouraging real conversations

I used social media for any moment I was “waiting”. Whether it was waiting in line for a service or waiting until it was time to prepare to head out the door, scrolling social was just a past time. It was something I rarely thought about doing but just did. I sometimes even scrolled in the car while my husband drove. 

Thinking back, these were prime moments of actual conversation that I automatically reverted to scrolling. You might think you’re not as far gone as I was but I wasn’t always at this stage. I find myself conscious of when I get here (hence to detox) but it’s a slippery slope.

We automatically tune out anyone around us as we grasp for our devices. Deleting the apps meant I conscientiously chose to participate in person. I’m not talking about going to a social event and conversing in small talk with random people. I’m talking about having conversations with loved ones beside you and nurturing that relationship by giving them the attention instead of your screen.

Benefit #4 Discovering new hobbies

I’m sure this has happened to you: while waiting for the kids to fall asleep as you try to keep the noise down you sit and scroll through your social network. 

Then you look at the time, somehow it’s been 1+ hours and now you’re ready for bed. 

If this happened once a week that would be lucky but lately it’s transformed into a routine for me. Instead of keeping those precious end of the day moments for an activity that brings us true joy, it’s wasted on seeing what other people are doing on social media.

I know this is especially tough at the end of a day or if you have multiple children. But just knowing that social media wasn’t accessible during my detox forced me to think about other activities that I might enjoy during this time. Reading, puzzles, even watering my garden at the end of the day was so much more fulfilling and sleep conducive. 

And when detoxes are planned it forces us to think about possible new hobbies we might be able to discover with the extra hour at the end of the day.

Benefit #5: Developing good habits for mental health

If you are an influencer wanna-be (like I’ve been), you’re constantly looking for content everywhere and trying to capture it instead of living in it. Instead of taking in the serotonin of a beautiful sunny day, you’re forcing brain cells to move fingertips to capture the sun in the perfect landscape to share for followers. You’ve just missed the moment trying to capture it.

Sure most professional content creators schedule and plan for the day but you’re still living the experience through the lens. 

Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful to learn about events, hacks and communities through influencers. But as someone who gets so wrapped up in sharing, it becomes a real addiction to post. 

And if you’re not an influencer wanna-be, scrolling through social can become a comparison game. You get to peer into people’s lives through careful curated windows. Sometimes we forget that it doesn’t depict the whole picture and we get so involved wondering how to attain this lifestyle they have. 

It happens more often than we care to admit. Then we wonder why we become so short with our children or our partners. 

A social detox is a great time to pause and remind ourselves of our purpose on social media. Is it truly benefiting us? Have we set realistic goals and timelines to achieve what we want to we want through it? Or are we aimlessly “wandering” through and now have lost control of the power these feeds can have on us?

Generally most detoxes can be healthy. It’s a good time to pause and re-asses. 

Social media CAN BE beneficial but like most things need to be consumed in moderation.

There are so many benefits for moms to take a social media detox. It can be daunting because most of us rely on it. BUT there are so many pluses to consider after you’ve done it. 

Let me know if you try it 🙂