Image Credit: Álvaro Bernal from Unsplash

Retiro, Madrid, Spain

During the 2025 Iberian Peninsula Blackout, I was in Madrid on an intense social media break when the power suddenly cut.

The loss of electricity forced Spaniards outside their quickly warming homes and soon we knew that there was no immediate threat. Close to where I was living, people lounged around reading books in the sanctuary of a cozy plaza while others drank canned beverages freely out in the open. Children laughed at a local playground while music blasted from a working radio, an echo of war-time announcements of the past from a man's car that had informed crowds that France, Spain, and Portugal were all free of electricity.

Somehow, smiles were on every face as we pretended to mourn the loss of internet connection for a few hours, and I myself enjoyed writing about it in a notebook while observing the activity. Soon, others my age would be posting online about the experience, discussing how the much-needed break from their phones made them want to use social media less in the future.

This event— and the evidence of people enjoying time offline —reminded me of all the reasons why I stopped using my phone so much, and why it feels great.

Image Credit: Alex Vasey from Unsplash

Madrid, Spain

Six Month Break

At the end of 2024, I decided to delete all of my social media Apps for a while. Two months turned to three, three months to four, and now I've been social media-free for six full months (nearly seven) as of July. While at first it was strange to resist the urge to post about my life online, I soon realized I loved not worrying about social media and simply deleted my accounts entirely.

My attention span has improved, I spend more time doing what I love, and my screentime is lower than it has been since my mom controlled my iPad settings.

Trust me, I have NO PLANS to go back to the way I was posting.

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Why I Quit — The Rundown

The internet can feel like performance art in today's day and age. We might post pictures of overpriced morning coffee and find ourselves anxious over comments from strangers.

(Looking at you, user29173197.)

For many years while using TikTok and Instagram I felt unhealthily focused on what people thought of me. This made me feel insecure at times or spend money on unneeded things. I found myself on my phone more than I should've been — at the dinner table, for example, or at social gatherings — and I realized I needed a huge break. It was time to stop wasting my youth on my phone and actually enjoy the world around me.

During these past six months without social media, I have:

• Started practicing yoga
• Read or listened to two books a week
• Spent more time with family and friends
• Cooked new dishes
• Worked an internship
• Traveled
• Led a student tour
• Enjoyed every second

If you want to start living your life offline, it's your turn to take a break, too.

Image Credit: Onur Binay from Unsplash

Break Up with Social Media

Here's my easy advice for taking a six-month break from social media:

1. Start Off Small

Digital minimalism — or reducing the amount of time you spend online as much as possible — may help you to reduce stress and stop pushing off things you've always wanted to do.

If you need a huge break from posting right away like me you can delete all social media Apps, but for some it will be easier to quit the Big Two: TikTok and Instagram. These doom-scrolling traps are something I like to call "infinity pools", a.k.a. Apps with endless mind-numbing content readily available.

Delete the Big Two and soon, you'll suddenly have time to start that new sweater you planned on making. Or maybe the Pilates workout routine you wanted to try.

2. Find Something to do on Your Device That Isn't Social Media

It isn't easy to just stop using your phone all of a sudden and in order to build a habit, consistency is key. Instead of using social media, replace the time you would've spent scrolling doing something else. My favorite alts are audiobooks like The Housemaid, podcasts such as Rotton Mango, the New York Times Mini Crossword, and Solitaire.

3. Find Things to do That Are Not on a Device — AT ALL

Now's your chance to get those 10,000 steps in. Try going for a walk, reading a physical book, solving a puzzle, exercising, or baking something new. The more alternatives to social media you have, the less tempted you'll be to fall back into the habit of using it.

4. Biggest Tip: Focus on One Day at a Time

Even if you don't fully quit social media forever, you can start by focusing on just using your phone less every day. Make it a challenge to do a new activity whenever you can and also look for ways to spend time away from your screen. Life is short and the teenage years go fast — if you practice these tips to minimize your screen time, just think of how many things you could try, do, and see.

Six months without social media feels great and for now, I'm going to keep living life (mostly) offline.

Image Credit: Dominic Kurniawan Suryaputra from Unsplash

The Domain, Sir John Young Crescent, Australia