I’ve always wanted to do a social media detox and have even made a few unsuccessful attempts. But I was determined to master this gauntlet that has haunted millennials like myself for years. The challenge was real; I’m well aware of my involuntary urge to grab my phone every few minutes and open Twitter or Instagram. And it’s much worse during significant current events (in this case coronavirus and the presidential primaries). I admit I have a social media problem — it pulls me in like some digital black hole.

Planning was key.

The day before, I brainstormed, journaled, and deeply contemplated the prospect of the dreaded Social Media Detox. One thing I needed to figure out was, when the inevitable urge to look at my phone comes, what will I do? I tentatively planned on picking up a book instead (when possible), but I wanted a contingency plan in case I felt the need to do something on my phone. Well, there’s always email, I thought to myself. Or I could read some of the hundreds of articles I have saved on my Pocket app. Then I had an epiphany and devised a tactic to survive the urge to post something: Just write it down in my journal instead!

In addition to the sheer challenge of it, some of the goals of this exercise, at least for me, were to be somewhat more productive, to get more organized, and to use my time more wisely. Of course one day wasn’t going to be very significant; it was more about establishing a starting point so I might be able to detox for longer periods of time in the future.

A major apprehension that lurked in my mind was that I wouldn’t be hyper-aware of what was going on in the world or in the lives of my friends and family members. But there are plenty of sources of information I have access to aside from social media, I reassured myself. Besides, it’s one day.

And to clarify the situation further: Since I’m extremely introverted, social media really is one of the main ways I interact with other human beings. What if there’s an interesting event happening and Facebook is the only way to find out? This wasn’t going to be easy.