Stealing Silence: A Personal Rebellion Against the Endless Scroll of Social Media

An unapologetic path to reclaiming mental space and creativity

This is what life has been looking like lately — working from the couch with my furry assistants in my new favorite onesie, #unfiltered, and unplugged from social media.

And let me tell you, the silence has been bliss!

While it seems silly to admit, this hasn’t been as easy as I felt it should be. Even if you’ve watched The Social Dilemma, it’s still like we don’t want to believe how true it all is. Kinda like an alcoholic who thinks they’re in control and can stop whenever they want…

Are they actually in control?

Like An On- and Off- Again Relationship

For nearly the past year, I've been in-and-out of social media detoxes.

Last year called me into a deep space for healing, slowing way down, and basically burning things down and starting anew. This year - thank anything-you-consider-to-be-holy - feels drastically different. The phoenix emerging from the ashes, while clichéd, fully paints the picture of what my mind and soul feel occurred.

I’d played a game of ping-pong with social media and detoxing by deleting the apps from my phone for a few days at a time. But, I had used social media for my business for a decade and I needed it… or so I thought.

A few months ago, I really started to notice how social media was eating at my productivity and present awareness.

As a multipassionate, I’ll admit that I constantly have 832 tabs open both on my computer and in my brain at every moment. But it also felt like there was this black rain cloud lingering, making everything feel weighted down.

I lost count the number of times I would unconsciously grab my phone, swipe over to the apps, and be scrolling before I even realized what was happening. Deep-work was a figment of my brain lying to itself that I could be productive and give myself a “quick” little break.

However, the bigger thing that ate at me, was noticing the conversation in my head while I was scrolling — every single time. “I hate this. It’s so negative. I don’t even want to be on here.”

Dumbstruck that I let this go on for far more than just one time, I deleted the apps.

Quick Fixes My Ass

Sure, there are some “helpful” tools that exist to curb your bad scrolling habits…

I’ve set screen time and app limits — only to dismiss it for one more minute again and again.

I’ve set 5-minute timers that flew by — which honestly didn’t last that long.

I tried making myself work to get to the apps on my phone — swiping to the 4th menu page, creating a folder, swiping to the 2nd page, and creating yet another folder, hoping that during the extra swiping, I would wake up and remember that I didn’t actually need to scroll. This one actually helped!

That is until I realized that swiping down on my iPhone gave me “Siri Suggestions” that included my social media apps…

Turns out, quick-fixes don’t actually work — who knew?

It was time to break the habit (someone cue the Linkin Park song!)

Stealing Silence Like Cookies

The first few days were obviously the hardest.

I couldn’t believe how many times I caught myself picking up my phone unconsciously, gladly remembering there was nothing to scroll.

It was liberating!

The amount of work I got done that first week. The calmness I felt not being bombarded with everyone else’s opinions-of-the-day. The silence I relished as I found myself feeling fully present, sitting on my couch enjoying my coffee while I just enjoyed that moment of my life.

But I also felt a little wrong… Like I was a kid about to get caught stealing cookies before dinner.

How many times I’d been told that I should post on social media daily, grow a following, create content, engage, etc. Not to mention, have you ever realized how many people around you will say, “Did you see [this-that-and-the-other] on Facebook yesterday?”

Nope, I’ve unplugged — and it kinda feels like I’m breaking the rules.

Welcome to Scrollers Anonymous

Hi, my name is Danielle, and I’m a recovering scroller. (At least there’s free coffee, right?)

Truth be told, I’m still figuring this all out — this isn’t one one those, I Quit Social Media and 10x-ed my Income posts… Although, I do know that I feel 10 times lighter already.

I’m in the process of completely shifting my marketing and content strategies.

I’m in the process of restructuring my working days and weeks.

I’m in the process of consciously deciding how I want to use any social media for my business without the apps and doom-scrolling.

Which is really what I feel all of us need to hear most.

You get to decide what’s best for you.

You get to figure it out along the way.

And you get to have rebels, like us, with you along the way.

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