i took a week off of social media!!

i read so much more!!!!!!
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reading in the clouds: / @readingintheclouds
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• Social Media & Well-being
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www.ncbi.nlm.n...
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☞ My name is Ariel and I’m a Canadian writer, poet, and KZbinr. I organize my shelves by genre and then colour and my favourite book is Animal Farm. I've been making bookish content online for over 8 years and love spreading a love of reading through videos, panels, articles, and more! Think we could make something cool together? Send me an email!
☞ Thanks for watching! ☜

[@kaybraywarriner7431]

If I spent as much time reading books as I do watching other people talk about books, I would read so many more books...

[@ArielBissett]

exactly 😭😭😭

[@shreyabooked9309]

Omg same. I really really enjoy Booktube though. 😀

[@yanillec]

same!! except i convince myself that watching booktube is giving me book recommendations, therefore i will read more jdnfkdnfj

[@sunflowermary2]

Same 😅

[@corpsebutler367]

Guilty.

[@mariyaortiz9306]

when ariel does the thing when she laughs and then cuts it off like a perfectly cut scream, that's where my serotonin comes from

[@ArielBissett]

😅😅😅🙈🙈🙈

[@hannahrademaker2511]

About a couple weeks into quarantine I realized how unhappy social media was making me so I decided to start off by taking a break for a week from all but one of my social accounts. After that week was over I realized just how much happier I was and that my mental state had improved significantly, so I decided to continue with my no social media rule and have now decided that I probably won’t start regularly posting on my socials again until the end of summer. Being off of social media has made me a much happier and thoughtful person and I’ve been recommending taking a hiatus to my friends for a while now!

[@BooksToAshes]

I've been doing the same. It's so refreshing, I've been considering deleting my social media (I don't really post/use any anyway) and step away so my mental health stays positive. I'm glad it's helping others as well

[@Makreads]

I've not been on Facebook and Twitter so much either, to be honest. They're an unhappy place for me at the moment (my mental health is ok, just finding social media a bit hard). I might have to try this idea and try reading more of my books or try other things instead of scroll.

[@kaylafarley167]

After the pandemic started I wanted to stay informed in my communities but I realized it was taking such a toll on me because I was doom scrolling. Simply by taking the apps off of my home screen I have gotten a lot happier and I just play games on my phone a lot more, like Dr. Mario, the Hogwarts game, or Sudoku and listen to my audiobook while I do it and it's relaxing. I cherish my phone time now because it isn't "phone time," it's ME TIME

[@littleblackteardrop]

@@kaylafarley167 wow i love the phrase 'doom scrolling'! this video came at the perfect time for me, because i've noticed i would stay up until 5-6 in the morning, reading only bad news, watching videos of police brutality etc., and then i'd go back to it as soon as I woke up. I think it's incredibly important to stay informed but I wasn't doing that, it was almost like I was just waiting for the next bad thing to pop up on my feed, endlessly refreshing it just to make sure i don't miss anything. I also love the idea of using time on your phone as your time to do something you enjoy instead of scrolling!

[@16kaiseama]

I was off social media before the pandemic but then went on it again for about a month and worry scrolled every day. Then I realized it was making me unhappy so I deleted it again and it's been nice. I find I can also catch up on the news by searching for information and seeing social media trends from afar.

[@ClocksInMyPlace]

My boyfriend and I schedule a screen free evening each week where we put our phones down and either read, puzzle, play a board game, or something else that doesn’t require electronics (although we often put on an album). I really like it and benefit from it but I definitely want to do more to spend time off screens. Thank you for sharing your experience. 😊

[@StoriesForCoffee]

I need to do this because I don’t even want to tell you my daily screen time average, and I can’t even think of one positive thing that comes from all the scrolling I do! I just scroll bc i’m bored at home and i’m hoping someone else’s life on social media will entertain me when I could be doing so much more with my time. I definitely want to try this out!

[@ArielBissett]

I love you, lady, I think you should go for it!

[@littletinyegg]

Something I realized recently is that what I’m doing on social media that is entertaining me is *reading*. Like reading people’s comments and captions and tweets etc. Like you said, it has some value but once I pick up a book or a long form article I just remember how much better it is to read a fleshed out, nuanced version of something. For me it’s not necessarily social media vs reading but reading inflammatory or silly paragraphs vs reading long, meaningful, informed content.

[@SometimesRainie]

i love ariel. feels like she's always so classy in her own way. eloquent in the way she speaks and portrays herself. she always inform us about important matters so thank u

[@Grace-nn3fy]

I agree I love her vibe

[@leahandthebook8102]

exactly what I think. meanwhile i stutter every sentence...

[@JustEz]

Social media is an amazing feature of our lives - but it can be so destructive if used in the wrong way - ie when it leads to a crisis of confidence in your own self-worth. Thanks for the video x

[@enoughofyourbile]

Killing Commendetore by Haruki Murakami is a novel where the main character leaves the city and abandons his job to move to a remote cabin in the woods to focus on his art. It kind of revolves around the idea of what do you do when you have time to do the thing you love again, and more importantly what do you think about when you are distracting yourself. It is also an homage to the Great Gatsby and our main character is the “Nick” in this situation. Maybe not what you are looking for exactly but a fantastic book and the unexpected happened on every page.

[@creatingari6664]

It sounds interesting! Thank you for sharing :)

[@althea2588]

I'm 20 years old and I have never had any social media (no Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook...). Like, NEVER. I don't even know how Snapchat works, for example I've never feel any "need" of having it and I don't feel like I'm missing a lot. KZbin is enough for me in term of content so... Yeah 😅 (Sorry if I have made mistakes, I'm French) Love ya Ariel ♥️

[@Luis-ej4ei]

Me too! I'm 23. I go on Twitter sometimes to check what's trending but I'm done in like 4 minutes... However, KZbin takes up a lot of my time, so I don't really think anyone online can be completely free from the social media rabbit hole haha

[@BooksToAshes]

I'm 26 and agree. I don't use facebook, only look at instagram maybe once a week, and use snapchat just for my close friends and family (I'm in a long distance relationship so it's the easiest way to send photos to my boyfriend too). Otherwise I find no use for it. It makes my life a lot happier with less of it.

[@anadacosta4043]

I knew you the second I saw you forgot the s at the end of the verb that you were french too! Not sure why but it seems to be a very frenchy mistake :')

[@Makreads]

I wish I hadn't started Facebook/Twitter to be honest. Might try Ariel's idea of removing them for myself and doing more productive things.

[@althea2588]

@@anadacosta4043 Is it at the end of the verb "work(s) for Snapchat ? I have the feeling that sometimes you have to put it, and sometimes you don't. I'm so confused 😅😅 But I was hesitating, really 😅

[@Thecatladybooknook_PennyD]

I try to take a whole day off once a week. I also went through and unfollowed or muted accounts as well as turned off "post notifications " for some accounts that were just sending too many.

[@ArielBissett]

I think that curating your feeds and making sure the people you’re following is so legit! You’re right! I need to do a better job updating my spaces!

[@dittebrouer2855]

I’ve done the same, and have a rule that I can’t follow more than 200 accounts on IG. It’s mostly pictures of pretty books, Norwegian woods and people I care about. I don’t follow any businesses, I can find them if I’m interested, but I don’t need a constant ‘buy this’.

[@miquesbookvlogs372]

Take Facebook away from me, I won’t care one bit-take books, anime, and movies away from me...and there will be hell to play. Love your personality, Ariel! ✨

[@tintin5013]

In the best way possible, I couldn't wait for this video to end because it made me want to read so badly.

[@LucindaGarza]

I went off social media a couple years ago. I was living in Madrid, and my long distance boyfriend broke up with me. I was devastated, and social media made me hurt even more, so I took two weeks off of Twitter and on week off of Instagram. It helped me find peace with myself, I learned to go for walks, discover new places, and enjoy life with the wonderful people around me. A very good friend took me to his hometown in Andalucía during a long weekend, and my friends and the sea healed me, I felt lighter without having the option of looking at my phone to see what my ex was up to on Twitter, during the trip I only used Instagram to register our beach weekend adventure. Since then, I've been more aware of how social media makes me feel. I mean, I love it!, and just like you, I've found some of my best friends through BookTube, Twitter and Instagram, I'm a child of the internet and I don't think that's going to change any soon... But now I'm able to tell when social media is hurting me in some kind of way, so I'll take a day or two for myself, even taking just half a day off can make a difference! Thank you for sharing, Ariel. Un abrazo, x.

[@jazzgirlie]

i've done the whole "one week offline" thing a few times now, and each time i do it, it definitely gets easier to stay offline during my downtime. i don't really find it hard to keep my usage low anymore, but it's taken lots of practice. i set daily reminders to only spend 10 min on instagram, and while my average may be more around 20 to 30 min a day, my usage is so much more intentional than it used to be.

[@danerysthorn]

"In 2015, that was when the fire nation attacked."

[@jay-ts8ux]

I deleted Instagram (I dont have Twitter/Facebook) at the beginning of corona and oh boy, it was SO good for my mental health. I am only 16, but I am so glad i was self aware enough to know that scrolling through instagram was not helping me in my life. I found I would only scroll through Instagram when I was in an awkward situation or had nothing else to do and suddenly I didn’t feel so jealous of people I don’t even know and I have so much more time to focus on myself now :))

[@AsdfAsdf-mi6ks]

I’m more addicted to KZbin than social media. Constantly watching videos is very time consuming. But I do it because it takes little energy and turns my brain off. HOWEVER I find that audiobooks are easier for me than actually physically reading. when I’m being read to, it feels similar to watching a video.

[@patronusmarauder8206]

There are a lot of things about social media I love, but I find that taking a few days out once in a while is really refreshing. I don't find it hard to unplug for a bit or detach myself from my phone for a while.

[@darkacademiacafe8238]

It honestly always scares me a little bit to watch these kinds of videos. I found them to be so interesting but also make me think of how most of us find social media to be addictive, time-consuming and in a lot of cases stress-inducing rather than finding it to be fun. I loved the whole discussion in here and you talked about “journey”, ‘cause it really shows how much apps grow on us and slowly become a part of our reality. I’m a huge supporter of social media, I think they can make such great changes and I’m grateful to live in the era where I have all the knowledge inside my phone, but it’s really good to think about these things at times and taking into consideration changing our routines! Brilliant video as always!

[@anddestroyit2654]

I spend so much time on social media just not enjoying myself, time I could be reading and actually having fun. This video has really inspired me to step away from social media. One thing I've done in the past and other people might do is just having a day off - maybe like once a week. That way I don't feel like I'm missing out to much but on those days I can really get a lot of reading done!

[@GwendolynKensinger]

I 100% agree that social media takes up too much of my personal time. i went 24 hours without my phone, ipad, etc and that was eye opening. I like the idea of setting a time like you mentioned at the end of the video, no social media until noon or no social media after 6 pm. Thanks for sharing your experience and always being so lovely.

[@isabellasantiago6473]

“I feel like Im in the world that I care about the most when I read” wow, that speaks to me so immensely I wish we could meet in real life, I only know you though your videos but I can tell you’re such an amazing and thoughtful person.

[@username-zh1gr]

I hate social media, when I leave it for months it makes me better

[@sbobo4665]

You should definitely read Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport, it's one of the few books I think everybody should read. Really helped me get a more healthy relationship with social media and technology

[@AmyJaneSmith90]

I second this. Great book.

[@NelliBeen]

I agree!! Looove that book

[@ArielBissett]

Thanks for the rec! I looked it up and it sounds great. I’ve put a hold for the audiobook at my library and I hope it comes in soon!!!

[@alejandracerecedo3468]

Deep Work is a great book as well, by the same author.

[@bluedreamer1941]

Brilliant. I love your thought process, delivery and your friendliness. I appreciate you.

[@artemisbrown7845]

ariel if you are reading this i just wanted to tell you your videos have been really helpfull during these tough times.huge fan .love from india.

[@arlenpippin2582]

For the past two years I've given up all social media for Lent and it was always a great experience. I know social media is one of my biggest addictions so to take the time to focus on something else for 40 days is refreshing!

[@dearylott1886]

I would recommend "In Praise of Slowness" by Carl Honoré, I had to read it for a sociology class years ago and found it so insightful on how to society has been conditioned to move so quickly!

[@Makeupmaniacx3]

I went through a breakup during quarantine, and I decided to take Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook off my phone. I went a whole month without those, and I redownloaded them, then decided this week that I enjoyed being off those apps so much. I deleted them again, and since the end of March, I've read 20 books. I've never read so much in my life. KZbin has never been a time suck for me so I still use youtube, but wow, I am so so much happier not being on Instagram or Twitter. Once I go on them again, I realize how little I actually care about what other people are doing or posting. Without it, I am so much more positive about myself. That alone is reason enough to stay off those apps.

[@evaggeliatseliou9329]

I used to have an instagram account for a reaaaaally loong time. Last year i deleted my account bc I've noticed that it was affecting me negatively (body image/ physiologically etc) It really helped! Now one year later I honestly don't miss it at all!! It helped me read a lot, see myself for what I really am , understand me and most importantly, I stopped COMPARING myself to others, something that I was always doing I think it's worth a try to spend a while without social media. You may even realise, like I did, that you don't need them or miss them. You are just used to having them around Also, loved your video😍😍😍

[@fooduzzi]

Just re-watched this vid as inspiration to keep me off of social for a while. Definitely feeling the drag of it these days, and excited to challenge myself! This line totally did it for me: "How much more I can learn being offline than being constantly plugged online." Preach. Love it.

[@guardian.angle.22]

I love this video discussion! Social media definitely became a bit of an addiction for me awhile back. One of the things that really helped me was enabling time limits on my apps. If you have an iPhone, you can go into your Screen Time (and after cringing at how much your average screen time is), select App Limits. You can customize how long you want your social media limit to be per day. Once you have one set, you get notifications once you’ve hit your daily limit and if you don’t select to ignore the limit, your apps will essentially “go to sleep” for you. It’s really helped me to cut down on my scrolling time.

[@Sarah-ty5ev]

I totally agree with everything you said. I am a much happier person when I consume less social media. So far, I have read 50 books this year (right on track for my goal of 104)! People always ask me how I read so much, and my answer is that when other people spend time scrolling, I read. I never use social media when I wake up or go to bed, and I always use this time for reading. It is incredible to see how much more you can read just by doing this!

[@cylesteblue]

The Bell Jar is my favorite book of all time! Minus the glaring problematic elements. There are things about depression in there that I connected to so deeply when I was 14 (and still do to this day). So excited you liked it! This has definitely inspired me to stop scrolling so much because I definitely need a break.

[@juditkovacs1205]

Last March I read a book called Digital Minimalism, which talked about this, and said that a week is nothing, you can also be sick for a week or be on holiday, and that is not the point. Because after sickness, or a week off you will just go back to how you did things before. The book suggested a 30 day detox, and I did do that last year. My social media use has not been the same since, and it is a lot better. It might not work for those who make a living off of social media, but for the regular users this is something to seriously consider. Also, a much more in your face book about the strategies of social media platforms and companies is one called Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now by Jaron Lanier. Gamechangers both of them. I highly recommend them.

[@saraerzsebet]

I take semi-regular Internet fasts and I absolutely love the way that I feel during and shortly after. My anxiety is reduced, my creativity wells up, and I feel "like myself" again. I really like how you said "I'm in the world that I care about the most when I read." Exactly! Learning, growing, connecting to information and people that I care about. Exactly. I am happiest when I stick to rules for myself like: phone on Do Not Disturb till I'm up, exercised, and fed; no screen time M-Th; No phone one hour before bedtime. But alas, it is difficult to stick to.

[@piperhansen348]

Attending summer camp and going on weekend retreats where there is no cell or internet service taught me at a young age that social media will always be there for you when you get back from taking a break. I think that it taught me a lot about finding lessons and opinions in other places rather than in the echo-chamber of myself and my own friends on the internet. In high school and now in college I put my phone in a different part of the house while I work on other things and I block Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, KZbin during the work week/during work hours and when I'm doing homework or regular work on my laptop. It has helped me stay focused and use social media more as a reward and platform for connecting than something I feel the need to always be on, like you said it is made to do and be for. In the summer months when I'm not working as much, I normally take one day out of the week and completely don't go on my phone at all that day unless there's an emergency. Typically I do that on weekends too but having a day during the week to do that is really nice. I would also suggest charging your phone across the room or in a different part of your house so your phone is not the first or last thing you look at. All of these things have helped me read more news, more books, listen to more music, call my family and all of the things you got to do during your week off. Also, turn off all notifications!

[@lizmckenna8018]

What Falls From the Sky by Esther Emery! I didn’t realize this was technically a religious book when I picked it up-try to not let that dissuade you. She goes offline entirely (no cell phone, no debit card) for a YEAR. This was such a calming book and makes me feel better every time I read it. What a great video-thank you for sharing!

[@TheCraftBin]

"So you can respect, love, people who are not...white." 😂 I don't know why that line was so funny, but Ariel that was beautifully blunt 😂❤

[@cozy.punkin]

For me, I try not to be on social media Monday-Friday and just get on the weekends! Sometimes easier said than done but it’s helped my mental health for sure!

[@vanessapearson6985]

Just wanna say that I found your channel last week and haven't been able to stop watching. You're such a calming and well-spoken presence and I really appreciate your videos during this stressful time!

[@camilleandreatesoro3866]

The Bell Jar 🙌 I'm glad you also loved it!! It's one of my fave books too, I need to sched a reread for this one lol.

[@bookishsami]

I went camping a couple weeks ago with no service and it was honestly such a joy to not go on social media and not be "plugged in". Social media is 100% a time waste for me and I really need to get better at limiting myself. This was a great video!

[@littlespider9]

I so feel this right now. Between the pandemic and all of the BLM resources being shared on social right now, I realized a week ago that I was spending almost three hours a day just scrolling through my phone on both Twitter and Instagram. Talk about time I'll never get back. I haven't completely deleted the apps from my phone (yet), but I have disabled notifications and that alone makes a huge difference!

[@LittleBargainNook]

I have taken much time away from social media (and especially KZbin) these past months and have been using my spare time to dive into books, which is what I love more than anything. I work during the day and spend my evenings and nights reading, lol I even read while having my breakfast! Reading is such a relaxing activity. I'm always one who is expanding my book collection and I love to read everything from classics to resource/non-fiction books! I truly read everything!

[@stace_d]

First, thank you for highlighting black booktubers! It's beautiful and way overdue, seeing people diversify their lives! As a black person who also likes stuff like alternative music and comic books, etc I can't relate to the idea of not having diverse bookshelves, music collection, film favorites. Seeking out art by people who are different from you, broadens your perspective and also shows us how much more alike we all are than different! ! Social media has been a great tool for me to find booktubers of color, rock bands that are not just white men, films with diversity, cool thrift shops, etc... HOWEVER! !! Social media can also be hella toxic and a HUGE time suckerr!! I want to make a conscious effort to unplug more, and get my life back, lol!

[@hannahjcattanach3324]

Yes! Every so often I find myself sliding down the social media trap, but I can usually catch myself before it goes too far. Also, you just catapulted the Bell Jar onto my must read list

[@fictionfatale3913]

I didn't turn on my phone for a year in 2018, it was the best year of my life. I stopped comparing my physical appearance to others, I wrote and made art not for other people's validation, but because I actually loved doing it, I read more, and most importantly; I used idle time, in the shower, brushing my teeth, sat in the car, to think, and to let my mind wander. Now I always need to be entertained.

[@bBooksBB]

I've never taken a week off social media, and hearing about your experience really makes me want to try it! When you said you'd take the time to scroll rather than doing something productive, I totally related because it just seems "easier." It's a habit that has become ingrained in a lot of people, and it's not really a good thing. I really want to try this in the future because it seems like a good way to remind yourself to stay in the moment and that not everything is online.

[@JordanThatblondegirl]

I really appreciate you acknowledging that social media can be good for connecting and be used as a tool, but that there are harmful effects to be aware of. I feel like when people talk about social media’s impact, it’s just about the negative and that just doesn’t sit right with me. Recently, I did limit my social media to just clearing out my notifications a few times a day, but I am trying to remove my habit of scrolling in bed while trying to fall asleep. It’s been a little difficult since the mindless scrolling was my way to slowly shut down my brain (reading tends to get my brain going so it’s a meh before bed activity). Still trying to stop though!

[@brittainxgoffy7989]

Definitely need to do this! A good fiction abt social media is Hank Green's An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

[@elle.roiproductions]

I naively thought I was immune to the "crimes" of social media because I was an adult when it came about. What a joke. I completely forgot who I was and my real life friendships I had spent years cultivating became vapid. Throughout the years I would take breaks from Facebook but The Quarantine and uprising was the last straw for me and I deleted everything. I feel so much at peace not knowing what people are doing and thinking all the time.

[@sofiathewitch]

I decided to mute all the notifications of Instagram and Twitter, but that wasn't enough. I realized I am addicted to them, that even if they give nothing to me I continue to scroll and scroll and I spend literally HOURS watching things I don't really care about. I have a page where I talk about books on IG, but I realized that I spend more time taking photos/writing captions/answering comments and DM than reading and it's insane! So two days ago I decided to delete IG and Twitter from my phone, just temporarily to find time to focus on studying and reading and other hobbies I have (that didn't have space before!). So yes, let's see what I'll do during this pause. I'm faithful. Thanks for your great message as always Ariel!

[@thereadingrobin2191]

I deleted all my social media, except for KZbin and Goodreads. But on those I really try not to scroll, which is sometimes pretty hard, but it really pays off. Social media is just not for me. When I was young my parents did a week without tv and computer which was also super awesome, because we just played games a lot together and stuff like that.

[@candoor150]

I have been avidly watching videos on social media detox results/ changing your sleeping schedule to as early as 5 am, and frankly i was really surprised most of them do not focus on reading!! A random thought of ''okay but how much more reading could you be doing in those unnecessary 3 hours you spend extra than needed on ig?'' thank you for this video and for being so upfront about it!! i'm working on my sleeping schedule atm to make up a routine and buy reading time and this all sounds very much beneficial so i'll make sure to try it out. i hope you keep up with it!!

[@lovablemein3d]

This makes a lot of sense! Ya it's hard to not scroll through instagram - i think taking time off social media *does* change your perspective day to day, in a kind of scary way.

[@musicandloveismylive]

We coincidently did this around the same time, but I have also deleted my instagram and other social media places I can't really regulate (so yes, I am still on Tumblr) because with everything going on everywhere, I just slowly was going down a downwards spiral. I couldn't sleep, eat and stop thinking about it, and ever since I haven't missed it one bit. I legitimately think about not reinstalling it EVER! and it really just makes me happy:)

[@TheLadyAli]

I take a break from social media at least twice a year. It's good to disconnect once in awhile. You are correct, I get so much more reading done during that time. Great video!!

[@PeanutLoafJr]

I took one week off social media every summer for four years and hiked in the Appalachian Mountains and it was incredible! A very needed cleanse from the world and things that in the long run, don't matter. Highly recommend!

[@jordanpearson9883]

I just took my first break from Twitter a week ago! I realized that Twitter is the one app that I get completely lost in, but it really makes me feel really negative about... well everything. I felt so much lighter during that time! I noticed that I got a lot more sleep because I didn't waste hours just scrolling through it. After the week was done, I decided to permanently delete the app on my phone, however I still check it on my laptop every now and then. It was a good and doable compromise. Great video!

[@charlottefeyer4735]

I have actually done a similar, but less extreme version of your experiment last week, and it worked so well for me, I think I'm going to keep doing it. Basically, all I did was set a limit for using Instagram and Twitter on my phone (30 min every day), so that the apps automatically stop after I used up my time. It made me way more conscious about how I was spending my time on social media - so I would still be checking the app every now and then, but instead of scrolling for hours, I would just close it again after a few minutes and go on about my day. For me, this is perfect - I can still be on social media, but I'm also productive and use my time to do other things as well.

[@kayleighryan6583]

I relate to this so much. My peak reading years were 11-13 - Reading is quite literally the only thing I did when I had spare time. THEN I got social media at 14 and I have never read the same amount since, even though reading makes me infinitely more happy and fulfilled than Twitter does!

[@cherylmusgrove7]

I took a break with minimal exposure to social media and read four books- best week ever. Thank you for posting this I will be sharing with my bookish friends and group !

[@YouShotMyRobot]

I deleted all my social media apps off my phone about a week ago and it is amazing the difference it has made on my health and well being! Since there is less to do on my phone, I end up rarely checking it and actually do stuff in real life. I've been super productive. And since I told my friends I wouldn't be on social media for a while, we've actually made friend dates over facetime, etc.

[@literarilylaura8144]

I stopped using twitter and instagram about two years ago, and for a while I did notice that I wasn't so glued to my phone and had more "free time" to do other things instead of checking posts, but the biggest difference I have noticed is how I approach and think of my friendships. I'd say I am more active in texting my friends than when I used social media, and I also have a better sense of who my friends are. I found your video really interesting, and since I still scroll through youtube on my phone (I found that I'm way more focused when I use yt on my laptop than on my phone), I want to try replacing that habit with listening to audiobooks. Also, about two weeks ago I was inspired by one of my friends to turn off the texting notifications on my phone, and it has been a massive game changer. Instead of being interrupted by texts and semi-reading them and then ignoring them, I simply go on the app when I want to talk to someone or check if anyone has texted me; and if I'm not in the mood, I'm not being interrupted while doing other things on my phone. It really has made me feel more focused and feel like I can have clear and defined spaces and time for different things. I understand this may not be possible for everyone, but I definitely recommend trying it even for just a couple of days! Keep up the good content!!

[@MaryAmongStories]

This is such an important discussion! I only use Instagram and Twitter, and I'm even considering deleting Twitter... We become so addicted without even noticing. And life just happens before us...It's scary. Great video as always

[@amerynpeters429]

Your videos are so colourful and comforting and homey and they just make me feel like everything is going to be okay. Love you!

[@wolfferoni]

Having a certain time you're allowed to use social media seems like a good idea, particularly a few hours after waking and before bed. In the morning it can really set you up for a day of feeling crappy and at night, you don't want to be thinking about that stuff when going to sleep. I am rarely on social media - at least on social media that revolves around people I know irl. I have an anonymous twitter but only follow art accounts and a few youtubers so I'm hardly ever stressed looking at it. I use reddit but it's mainly for the cat pictures. I don't use instagram at all and basically only go on fb when necessary i.e. when I get a message or something. I noticed I felt way worse after scrolling on fb because like you mentioned, I compared myself to people I knew and I'd always feel worse.

[@ejreads7638]

i spend so much time online talking about reading and listening to others talk about reading but if i just spent that time reading....omg i would be so powerful

[@sarahjndonovan]

This is so important, especially right now! Thank you for sharing your experience. It’s something we all need to hear.

[@JoyChun0508]

This topic is relatable to me cuz ive spent many hours mindlessly scrolling social media which doesnt make me feel good about myself. This new year, i hope i can put more time into reading more.

[@authortaylorepperson]

Digital Minimalism is a good book to check out on this topic! I didn’t love the writing style of the author, but I loved the topic and the concept. I’m also starting to have one social media free day a week, but I may start with one full week off!

[@tatianacasanova3726]

I did! I stay off social media for a month last year and it was soooo good for my heart and my mind. Thank you for this type of content, Ariel!

[@nickiviloria]

I haven’t finished watching the video, but completely agree with you already!!! I remember my younger self reading nonstop!!!! But everything changed when I started to be part of Instagram.... when youtube became more than a platform to look for recipes haha! I remember reading so much in the past... but also, Internet was not really linked to my oxygen at the time hehe, so I understand and think that we as readers have bad and good moments but reading regardless the circumstances is what matters!!

[@jessicakelley1932]

I love this app called forrest. It locks your phone for a time limit you set and if you complete it you get a tree and if you close it you kill your tree. The sheer thought of killing a virtual tree keeps me off social media

[@meganloulou]

I take a break from social media pretty much every time I go on holiday. Usually there's no WiFi and I'm completely unplugged, but even last year when I had some WiFi that was very poor quality and made me spend far less time on social media I learned things. I read a huge book and had so many deep conversations over the course of that week. I bonded with my family so much every day and did more exercise and fun activities than I usually would have on a holiday. Social media really eats up my day and I find when I spend more time away from my phone I enjoy life so much more. (Gotta have a little bit of time every day though, I have too many interests involving it to cut it out completely.)

[@briannaschwarz2954]

I learned when I was about a sophomore in highschool how much social media was negatively affecting me so I decided to not buy into it. Now 7 years later I don't use any social media apart from youtube and pintrest and I have noticed that I am such a happier person because of it! Also I have the added bonus of getting to read more!

[@taliem4186]

I don't own a phone but I do have a computer and a television, I have been choosing to binge watch shows or go on Pinterest than read or meditate or exercise. Those things are so important during this quarantine. I'm glad you spoke truthfully about social media and actually took an honest break from it.

[@verdebusgo]

it's weird cause when we're scrolling through twitter or instagram we're still reading, right, and sometimes a lot. but it definitely doesn't provide the same satisfaction of reading/finishing a book, and we can't really chose what's going to pop up in our faces, so it's very overwhelming. i spent almost 3 years away from social media and now i'm using it again because of the pandemics and everything else happening in the world. but i feel the downsides to it all the time, never able to concentrate, rarely not anxious. so yeah, i get you, and we should all use social media more wisely. nice video, always

[@kamrynlouise3314]

Of course I watch this video on the day I've watching TV and scrolling all day instead of reading. thank you for the reminder and the motivation.

[@helenamccormick2490]

I found your channel recently and I've been catching up on all your videos! Love your channel. I've been getting back into reading over the past couple months and I feel much happier and more creative. Limiting my social media usage has helped me a lot too - I didn't even realise I was basically addicted oops.

[@isaackleijn3231]

i started gradually deleting social media apps over the past 8 months, and i’ve been almost completely offline (outside of yt and goodreads) and it’s so nice, i feel like i’m living more and spending my time better. so yeah, cool stuff

[@kristenbooks]

I remember several years ago when people were making these fake deep videos trying to be inspirational that basically just said PHONES BAD! SOCIAL MEDIA BAD! ONLINE BAD! And I just rolled my eyes at them because they always felt like just another "back in my day..." commentary. Because, like you said, there is SO MUCH GOOD that can happen online & on social media. You can make genuine friendships, huge movements can gain traction, you can be opened up to experiences and opinions you never would've heard otherwise, etc. BUT, over the past year I've really started to see the appeal of social media breaks & detoxes. Because it really does take a toll on your mental health, and if you cut it off entirely, you'll probably feel like you're missing out. Finding balance on an app created to addict you is difficult. I've been wanting to do something like this for a little while now... maybe I finally should.

[@alesmusings]

I took a month I think off Instagram and Twitter while in quarantine... At first I thought Im gonna do two weeks and I kept pushing it to three and then a month and I think it's been the month I read the most books!! I didn't feel as if I was wasting my time watching stories on IG...It was really good. Your video reminded me of the importance of taking time off social media

[@ambiekraftsreads]

Hey Ariel! I need to do this. Or at least I need to set a time limit. I also need to set a time limit for "TV". Another thing I want is for the time I do spend on social media to be productive, not just mindless scrolling. Happy Reading and God Bless 💖

[@Jessica-ne5pr]

A good thing to try if you're looking for ways to cut down on without completely stopping your social media use is by choosing to either cut your consumption or production of content. Basically just try and figure out what makes you happier (or in many cases, less unhappy): posting or scrolling, than trying to minimize the other. My experience was that by completely stopping posting pictures of myself, and only every posting for the most major/cool things going on in my life, I've become a lot happier with social media (and have found it a lot less addictive)

[@JuliaSapphire]

I really wanna try this out! Especially with quarentine I feel like I'm always online. I've been meaning to read The Bell Jar for so long. Great video Ariel 💗

[@AbiSaad]

I admire your attention re-focus, that's a heck of a will power!!! but when I'm on insta/twitter is usually because I literally cannot bring myself to do something else, like, I just don't feel in the right "MOOD" for something else. I would see a book I want to read on my shelf and I'd be like "ugggh, but NOT NOW" or I would grab it and then start to skip pages or sentences, not really enjoying it and the same would happen with any other hobby. That being said, I'm VERY careful about who I follow and why and I even don't follow that many people, so my feed is pretty curated. but yeah I agree with you, learning to control your social media habits is a WHOLE process but is necessary. I mostly use the Marie Kondo method, every couple of months I reassess my feed and if it brings me joy, it stays, if not (or if it brings me more stress than joy) away it goes (your insta always stays btw

[@septembergold8095]

I recommend "Mixed Feelings" by Naomi Shimada and Sarah Raphael. It's an essay collection on the topic, I haven't yet read it myself but definitely plan to since I've heard so many great things about it. Also the cover.

[@writerofwildwords1777]

I just spent a weekend with friends during which I didn’t really use my phone at all and it was such a relaxing experience. I totally agree with you that we should all try and do that more often. And I really liked how you not only pointed out the dangers of social media but also focused on the benefits of going offline every now and then. Thinking about all the thing I could be doing if I spent less time on social media makes me excited and motivated to try and switch off more often!

[@merylmakielski1245]

I love this. When I was at university, I took about a month off of social media where I could only check my accounts for 30 minutes once per week. It was SO HARD at first but then I gradually became used to only having time to check my direct messages and event invites. It made me focus on only checking in with my favorite creators. I felt much more engaged with a few than I ever do with so many things at once. I haven't been reading as much lately and a whole lot of my Libby holds came in this week so I think I'll do something similar starting tomorrow! Thanks for the nudge, Ariel.

[@lutauwu6280]

I freaking love her ! In mai I challenged myself to not go on social media for a month and that was very refreshing 💁🏻💗 I managed to read 3 books that month which is a new score for me and I am so proud ^^

[@kingaburger1118]

I’m 38 (gulp) so I remember adult life pre social media and pre smart phones. Mostly what I remember is having a lot more time (despite working longer hours and having a longer commute). I live far from my family and childhood and adolescence friends so I also see the good in it. It allows to keep in touch and remind in people’s lives despite being far away. I do perform an audit of my social media activity and honestly answer which bits add and which take away from life quality. I deactivated some accounts and deleted others from my phone. I like being a part of virtual community that shares my interests and inspires me but I could probably do without lots of arguments I have on twitter. :)

[@annafre1789]

Just to say I watched this video when it came out and I've come back to rewatch it to remind myself to go offline and read a damn Book! You inspire me Ariel!

[@BooksToAshes]

My mental health was really bad for a few months (even more so recently), so I've been getting off the internet/social media more often and it's been SO much better. I just finished studying a language for 4 hours while listening to a podcast without glancing at anything. It was honestly so refreshing. I recommend it to anyone who also struggles with their mental health.

[@Bella-lk5lg]

Your authenticity is genuinely irresistible. U r maybe the only person who inspire me to read ♥

[@merulava]

I've thought about it a lot over the years but I think it has always been too confrontational.. and realizing how much time I spent on my phone is really scary to me. I'm also a really sensitive person to influences and other peoples shit. So you've finally convinced me. Let's fucking go. I'm actually excited.

[@merces0700]

My relationship with social media has become a bit unhealthy during this self isolation, at the beginning it was getting out of control, but because of the amount of work I had to do from uni, it became more controlled. Now that I’m starting to have more free time, I’ve noticed I have many times been focused on instagram for a lot of hours.... I’ve been watching a lot of KZbin videos about animal crossing and my interests, but youtube is not what worries me the most, it’s that constant need we have to click our phones to check the time, look at what’s new on Instagram or Facebook... while watching this video I deleted the twitter, Facebook and instagram app. The messenger and WhatsApp remains because it’s an important form of communication with my friends, and youtube remains as well... but the ones that were an addiction of scrolling every second, got deleted and I’m actually excited to experience life without those habits! So thank you 🧡 really want to reconnect with reading, feel like I’ve lost that habit a lot

[@naomilodder6342]

Your video inspired me to delete the Instagram app. The thing you said about Instagram not wanting us to be happy, but to see a lot of ads did it really. Thanks for making this video!