Developing better digital hygiene

I don’t think social media needs an introduction. It’s how we stay connected, informed, and entertained in the digital age. However, many including myself have noticed its significant impacts on mental health, positively and negatively. There are 3 factors to how social media has impacted me personally. After reflecting on my experience, I found three key ways social media has affected me. In this post, I’ll highlight these affects, and how I am attemping to combat them.

Disclaimer: I am NOT a scientist

1. It made me lazy, unmotivated, and reduced my focus

Social media provides an easy way to escape discomfort. If I had work to do but didn’t feel like doing it, scrolling was always an option. The worst part is, it never felt like a conscious decision—I would open an app without even thinking about it. Over time, this chipped away at my ability to sit down and focus on things that required effort. My attention span shrank, and deep work became rare.

And motivation? The more I consumed, the more I felt like an observer rather than a participant. Seeing people accomplish things should’ve inspired me, but it often did the opposite. I’d compare myself to them and feel behind. Instead of working on my own goals, I’d scroll more, convincing myself that I’d “start later.”

Solution: Keeping a journal

I’ve started encorportaing a journal in my day to day life. I have two journals, one journal that tracks my fitness goals, habits, and highlights of the day. The other journal is meant for me to process my emotions. This has helped me stay consistent with my goals and plans. Something about having your ideas written out on a physical page helps you keep it in mind a lot easier than if you were to just keep it on your phone’s notes app.

2. It’s an exceptionally good distraction

Social media is engineered to be irresistible. There were countless times when I’d pick up my phone for something small—maybe to check the time or respond to a message—only to find myself scrolling 30 minutes later.

The infinite content cycle makes it easy to lose track of time. Even when I wasn’t actively using it, the habit of constantly checking my phone made it hard to stay present. Waiting in line? Check my phone. Studying? Check my phone. Watching a movie? Check my phone. It got to the point where silence and boredom felt uncomfortable.

Solution: Having dedicated times for distractions

I decided to enforce a strict block on all distracting apps from 9am-5pm. The benefit of this is that I can stay focused for the most productive hours of the day without having the urge to check my device. This is because I know that it is blocked regardless of if I want it to or not. Also knowing that when the block reaches its end, I am able to access these apps again no problem. This solution definitely comes at the compromise of not being able to acess some apps during the day, but its benefits make it worth doing.

Having dedicated time in the day to unwind and use social media has created a much healthier balance.

3. Changes to neurochemistry

Social media affects the brain’s reward system. Every like, comment, or new piece of content gives a small dopamine hit. Over time, this conditioned my brain to seek instant gratification. Long-term projects felt more difficult because the rewards weren’t immediate. Books, deep conversations, and hobbies felt less stimulating compared to the rapid pace of social media.

This also messed with my emotional state. Some days I’d feel great, but after spending time online, I’d be left feeling drained or anxious without even knowing why. Constantly consuming information—especially negative or sensational content—put my mind in a reactive state, making it harder to focus on my own life.

Solution: Dopamine detox

I started doing a dopamine detox, I’ll write about that soon