Scroll Free September Is Here And Here’s Why Dubai Should Join

No social media for a week is challenging but here’s what you’ll positively experience when you quit

Posted on

12 September 2018

| Last updated on 12 September 2018

Social media has entered our lives abruptly and while it has been a great tool to share wonderful memories, communicate thoughts and keep in touch with friends and family – it can get very overwhelming at times.

And the demand for a break from social media caused a new challenge to emerge – a trial is to stop scrolling and take a social media break and it has already started.

A new campaign launched on Twitter by the Royal Society for Public Health called #ScrollFreeSeptember is calling on people to ditch social media for this month and it has already witnessed participants.

The trending hashtag on twitter started as a simple challenge for people to stop staring at their phones’ screens and to see how long they’d last – ultimately revealing how dependent they are on social media.

And it’s no shock lately that people have been so consumed by whatever is happening on social media that they forget to truly enjoy what’s around them – an average person spends six hours a day on social media.

Not to mention the negative effects it can have on your physical and mental health when scrolling through your phone constantly.

Now, the challenge doesn’t necessarily urge people to cut social media cold turkey, you can also give them up partially. So instead of being on your phone all day, you can check the apps at certain times of the day for a bit.

To make the challenge even more appealing, here are a couple of positive things you’ll experience if you decide to ditch your phone this month.

You will sleep better

Getting your minimum eight hours of sleep per day is extremely important – not only does it make you feel energized the day after but it can also help you establish a balanced routine.

More commonly than not, young people fall asleep while scrolling on their phones at night. This causes many to get a limited amount of sleep hours or poor sleep.

The blue light that emits from screens can restrain the production of melatonin, which is responsible for controlling your sleep/wake cycle – the less melatonin in your body means the harder it will be to fall or stay asleep.

You will have more time

You might think that scrolling through your social media apps might take little time out of your day, but the average time spent browsing through Instagram, Twitter and Facebook is 6+ hours a day.

Which eventually leaves little to no time to focus on your surroundings – this is the best time to acquire a new hobby or re-master an old skill to create an offline experience.

So maybe opt to read a book instead, start going to the gym or just take some time to relax and unwind.

You will reconnect with family and friends

If you’ve ever gone out and seen a group of people just staring at their screens and thought to yourself: I need to ditch my phone then now’s the time.

Having no distractions means you’ll have quality time with your family and friends – listening to conversations, sharing laughter and making memories are the foundations of bonding with your loved ones.

For parents, having an extra hour or two can mean you get to connect with your children and spouse on a new level. You’ll be more efficient in the days to come due to that extra time you had to map out your schedule and your children will also witness a difference as your attention will be shifted from the screens to their needs and wants.

Baby steps

This challenge is supposed to shed light on the dependence that social media users have on their phone but the end of the challenge doesn’t mean to go back to old routines.

Instead, it aims to break the daily routine and set limits to the social media consumption and better one’s health and wellbeing.

Can you ditch social media for a month?

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