I walked into a new school, not recognizing a single face or name. In the past, I was able to search up any name I heard on Instagram to associate a name with a face, but with this new school year, I would have to walk around seeing the same unfamiliar faces everyday.
Halfway through my ninth grade year, I found out that I would be able to transfer to The Bronx High School of Science. I was filled with excitement and joy, and took this as an opportunity to start fresh with a new first impression. I believed that the key to truly have a fresh start would be to ‘disappear,’ starting with my social media presence. With no social media presence, transferring schools became a chance to ‘be new,’ to make real friends, and to rediscover interests that had been pushed aside by online distractions.
In an effort to ‘build’ a new perspective of myself and find things that I enjoy to do besides scrolling and posting, I decided to delete all my social media. Slowly, I disappeared from every social media platform I was on. I removed everyone from my accounts, deleted my posts, eventually deactivating all my accounts. Although it was difficult at first, it had a big impact on how I spent my time.
My Cleanse Experience
The summer of 2023 that I spent off social media was the first summer that I truly cherished. I experienced moments and places without the pressure to edit, the anxiety of wondering when to post, or how many likes I might receive. For the first time, I experienced a deep sense of peace. Yet, alongside that tranquility, I felt a twinge of sadness. That summer illuminated how many of my ‘friendships’ depended on social media for connection, leaving me feeling a bit isolated. In that solitude, however, I uncovered a greater appreciation for genuine connections and the beauty of simply being present. The few friendships I formed during this period of time were also the most meaningful friendships I have had.
With nothing on my phone to distract me that summer, I spent a lot of time off my phone and explored new hobbies. I learned to crochet. My very first project was making a cute lion that now sits on the corner of my bed every night. I spent time with my cousins almost every week, and even though we had lived in the same neighborhood our entire lives, it felt as if we were always discovering something new about each other through that quality time. We would play volleyball and badminton together. Although none of us had any athletic ability, we learned how much we loved to play together. My bond with my cousins grew as I spent almost every second of summer with them and since then, my bond with them has only become stronger.
The first day of sophomore year, I was terrified. Usually, I would search up every name I heard to be able to network and easily find people, but this year, I walked into my new school not knowing a single one. Transferring made all the difference. Although I knew there were over seven hundred students in my grade, everyone seemed to have their own friend group set and always had people by their side, and I felt as if I would never make a friend without doing it the easy way, following their Instagram first and starting conversions on there. I only ever spoke to my peers at my table, but soon those tablemates grew to be some of the most genuine friends I have ever had. The friendships I formed during my time away from social media hold much greater significance for me – each beginning with a simple interaction in class, a club meeting, or even in the bathroom. It was a breath of fresh air for our conversations to never relate to the latest trend on TikTok, but about us instead. Of course, everyone around me was still on social media, and at some point, I felt as if I was living under a rock. My friends would occasionally make jokes or references that I didn’t understand, and it left me feeling a bit disconnected.
In these moments however, I would remember how refreshing it was to feel free from the constant pressure of social media. I was able to focus on my academic life, what clubs and teams I wanted to join, and improve my grades that year. Without the distractions of social media, I found myself diving deeper into my studies. All of the classes that I previously struggled in were no longer a struggle; I now earned some of my highest grades in them. With no distractions or urge to look at my phone after every assignment, I would be able to sit and finish my work in less than two hours. I found interest in topics that I was learning in class, making school more enjoyable. The clarity of mind that came from my social media cleanse gave me the space to think critically and to engage more deeply with my work. It allowed me to give my full attention to things that I truly cared about, such as my academics, and gave me a renewed sense of accomplishment.
During my sophomore year, I found one other person who was also off social media: my English teacher, Mr. Daniel Licardo. He had gotten off social media right at the start of the pandemic, after spending eight years on Facebook and Instagram for professional reasons. According to Mr. Licardo, some of the reasons he stopped using social media was because it was repetitive and superficial. Instagram accounts are often not a reflection of real life, but when you believe that it is, it becomes difficult to form genuine bonds with others. All of these reasons can lead to one wanting to disconnect, like Mr. Licardo, whose New Year’s resolution was “Less Facebook, more faces, more books.”
A More General View
Social media continues to be part of our daily lives in some way, especially among children and adolescents, and it has an impact on mental health and social development. While these social platforms can create connections and allow for identity exploration, they can also be the root of problems found in teens today.
Social media has benefits that going social media free doesn’t provide. Having a social media platform makes it easy to connect with others. Whether it is a peer in your class or someone across the country, you will always have a friend. That was something I struggled with when I first transferred schools, and it took me time to make the friends I have in this school. Additionally, like I mentioned earlier, social media is a platform where people can express themselves, and discover who they are and what they like. Social media offers a wealth of trends, fashion styles, and more, allowing people to explore and discover what suits them best. Benefits like these are what made me want to return to social media, being able to find myself and connect with others, but this time limiting my usage of social media and what I post.
Social media gives a space for young people to express themselves and interact with each other. However, it can also be a negative space with cyberbullying and amplified insecurities. It is incredibly easy for negativity to spread around the internet, and standards on the internet cause people to feel more insecure about not being able to fit the ‘norm.’ On top of that, cyber bullies hide behind a screen, making it increasingly difficult for issues like these to be resolved. This can lead to emotional distress, depression, and distractions in one’s life. There is always awareness being spread about the issue of cyberbullies, mental health issues tied to the use of media, and the dangers that social media expose children to.
Social media can have a negative impact on one’s mental health, but did you know that it can also negatively impact your physical health as well? Do you use your device, scrolling on your feed for hours before you sleep? How long do you stay in bed, not moving, watching your friends’ TikToks and Instagram stories? The increased use of social media limits the amount of sleep and physical activity that we get each day, which can hurt our physical health. With this, we must limit the impact social media has on us as a society; otherwise, our world will become unrecognizable, unhealthy, and a place where society will have expectations of people that are unrealistic and impossible to reach.
Opinions on social media are divided. Some consider it one of the greatest innovations of our time, while others see it as a negative influence. Ultimately, the impact of social media is determined by individual opinions and lifestyle choices. By setting clear boundaries and being aware of how social media affects your life, you can turn it from a potential negative into a valuable tool for connection and creativity.
Choosing to deactivate Instagram, for example, could prove to be the best decision you’ve ever made, allowing you to focus and think more clearly. In contrast, it may feel like a loss, cutting you off from a platform that you enjoy. The only way to properly appreciate its impact on your health is to try disconnecting. Embracing experimentation can provide significant insights into what improves your life and what may be holding you back. My social media cleanse made me realize how to appreciate real life through my eyes rather than my phone, highlighting the importance of striking the right balance for you.
“Less Facebook, more faces, more books,” said Mr. Daniel Licardo, a Bronx Science English teacher.