I am not proud to say my phone screen time is very high. It is especially high on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, both of which prioritize fast-paced content and an endless scroll of media to consume, which makes me feel “addicted.”
For 5 days, I did a digital detox from the platform that I feel takes up most of my time, TikTok.
Before my detox, I informed my friends that I would be staying away from the app, but to keep sending me videos, in case/when I return, and if something is “urgent,” to text me the information. I know that sounds dramatic, but can you blame me?
My detox plan
Over the 5 days, I checked in 3 times a day and tracked how many times I went to open the app, how I was feeling, and what I was doing.
Day 1
| Morning | Midday | Night | |
| Reach Count | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| Feeling | Relaxed | Relaxed | Anxious |
| Activity | YouTube | Working | TV |
The morning of day 1 wasn’t too bad, aside from the habit of reaching for the app as I have for the past few years. Having work was very helpful midday to keep me occupied. At night, I started to feel anxious about missing out on new updates and content.
Day 2
| Morning | Midday | Night | |
| Reach Count | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Feeling | Anxious | Relaxed | Anxious |
| Activity | TV | Working | TV |
The morning of day 2 continued the feeling from night 1, but as I got to work, I relaxed. However, at night, I missed TikTok a lot because a new episode of one of my TV shows was releasing, and I felt like I was missing out on the discourse.
Day 3
| Morning | Midday | Night | |
| Reach Count | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Feeling | Relaxed | Relaxed | Relaxed |
| Activity | Exercise | Working | Homework |
At this point in my digital detox, I decided to move the app on my phone so I wouldn’t be tempted to click it, and I was able to relax and be productive at work.
Day 4
| Morning | Midday | Night | |
| Reach Count | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Feeling | Relaxed | Relaxed | Anxious |
| Activity | Exercise | Working | Homework |
Up until the night of day 4, I was doing pretty well. One of my favorite artists started a countdown for his album release the next day, and I was feeling pretty out of the loop because I couldn’t be involved.
Day 5
| Morning | Midday | Night | |
| Reach Count | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Feeling | Anxious | Anxious | Anxious |
| Activity | Exercise | Working | Reading |
It was poor timing with the album release and the last day of my detox, as you can see. Feeling pretty anxious as the day went on, but on the final day, I finally stopped reaching for the app.
Will I use it again?
As you can see above, the days I felt anxious without the app were the days when something was going on that I normally used TikTok for. I was surprised to see that I wasn’t necessarily missing the mindless scroll, but rather the specific content this app usually provides. Overall, I proved to myself I can live without TikTok. Over the next few days, I will be using the app again while working on a balance for how I spend my free time.
LAUREN SCOOPO 