Turning it All Off

There are multiple benefits to turning logging out of social media sites, even if for only a few days. Logging off can increase privacy, decrease distractions, and even raise a person’s self-esteem. According to a CNN article by Jareen Imam, there are plenty of reasons to deactivate or log off of a social media account. Her evidence includes a study from Utah Valley University that found there was a “direct correlation between the amount of time spent on Facebook and the way people perceive their lives”(1). The results of that study found that users who use social media sites more often think that “their Facebook friends have better lives than themselves”(1). This means that people are basing their self-worth on what others are posting online. Many users also exaggerate the content that they post so that they have a persona that only captures their best qualities. The basis of self-worth on people who create a “perfect self” creates a vicious cycle that chips at the subconscious mind of users. 

Imam also makes the point that logging off of social media accounts encourages users to make “a greater effort to socially engage with others”(1). Also according to the article, the “average Facebook user spends more than six hours a week on the site”(1). That is six hours of time spent in an exaggerated reality that can be put towards practicing our social skills and connecting with the real people who surround us. If we take breaks every so often from social media, we can focus on the skills required to actually connect with others.