What happens when you log off: 9 weeks (and counting) without social media

Turns out, life offline is surprisingly...peaceful?

My Jesus sourdough bread:) My new hobby in place of social media.

TLDR:

• My brain is less ADHD and more creative without social.

• My heart missed community and connection in real life.

• I miss sharing about the Good Things and Good People that bring me joy in hopes they will bring you joy too:)

• I really really miss We Rate Dogs:(

But let’s dig into the details shall we?

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Hi, my name is Marnie and I’m an alcoholic.

Oops, wrong room;)

Hi, my name is Marnie and I think I’m a social media addict. Or maybe a phone addict? Either way, an addict.

My phone tells me that on some days I’m spending 5+ hours on my phone and have 100+ “pick ups”. You should know that I don’t actually TALK on my phone, it’s not ringing to demand my attention. Instead I’m checking email, responding to email, and googling random things like “What are the best earbuds for 2025?” and “What is the latest Seattle Seahawks analysis?”. I play the Wordle with my girls and Connections with my son. FOR 5 HOURS A DAY.

You should also know that I have Stage IV lung cancer. Cancer has taught me that how I spend my time is IMPORTANT. Side note: Even without cancer, YOU have a shelf life too my friend. How YOU spend your time is also important. Something to think about.

And yet, 5 hours a day.

So, I decided a social media fast was in order. There was no rock bottom moment, no straw breaking the camel’s back. With the holidays approaching and my ADHD at an all time high, I just didn’t have the bandwidth for more input. A fast seemed like a good plan. Let’s just get through the holidays and then re-evaluate.

After about 4 days I wondered if I’d ever go back.

To be transparent, I deleted the apps from my phone but I gave myself permission to login on my computer once a day - mostly to make sure I wasn’t missing important messages. After about 2 weeks of doing this I stopped that too.

There are probably some adjectives or some analogies to explain how I felt but I don’t need fancy sentences to tell you that IT FELT SO EFFING GOOD.

My brain wasn’t multitasking all day. I could daydream, plan, and focus. I could take deep breaths and notice how my body felt. I found and remembered gratitude for the people and things that made me happy. I was more productive.

Here’s what I did with all that extra time:

• Organized a recipe binder to help manage meal planning

• Figured out a new grocery list that works for my ADHD brain

• Wrote in my journal every day

• Read three books

• Planned and hosted three parties

• I made dinner

• I made bread

It’s a tricky thing this social media fast. It does feel good, I don’t want to go back BUT…

I do have friends on social that I’ve never met in person, I miss them. I miss making you laugh. I miss bringing light to someone’s day. I miss the power of community - even an online one - when things are tough. I miss “seeing” you.

But I’m an addict. I for sure can’t drink in moderation, will I be able to scroll in moderation? There is some trepidation about returning.

Where do we go from here?

For now, I’m staying off the apps. But I’m brainstorming ways to stay connected and share joy without falling back into old habits. Maybe I’ll return to social media with boundaries, or maybe I’ll find a completely new way to build community.

If you’ve ever taken a social media break, I’d love to hear your thoughts. What worked for you? What did you learn? And if you’ve been thinking about stepping away but haven’t yet, what’s holding you back?

Let’s keep this conversation going—offline or otherwise. :)

K. Be good. Or don’t.

xo