I never thought I had a social media addiction. I’ve never stayed up scrolling all night; my sleep always took priority. I could detach myself from my phone during the holidays. I never flipped through my “explore” page hoping to find something else that would pique my interest – my own feeds were enough to satisfy me. Sure, I impulsively checked my phone throughout the day without even realizing it, but haven’t we all done it?

Last year all that changed, upending my understanding of social networks completely addictive. I was working three days a week as a press officer while freelancing and trying to maintain some semblance of a social life at the time, and I knew that I could only meet my deadline if I got rid of unnecessary distractions as much as possible. Social media had to be one of them. So I downloaded an app called Opal, which allows you to block apps between certain times of the day. To accommodate my writing hours, I blocked Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and LinkedIn every day from 8:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

In a few weeks, the behavioral conditioning to which I had unconsciously consented since I had my first smartphone at 13, it was clear. I couldn’t go 15 minutes without picking up my phone, and the disappointment grew every time I realized I couldn’t get that instant dopamine hit.

I had to remind myself that these social media platforms had invested unimaginable amounts of money and research in order to get us hooked in the first place. It wasn’t my fault I was addicted, it was intentional. Notifications such as banners, alerts, vibrations and red dots trigger release of dopaminewith the constant scrolling and refreshing of our feeds acting like slot machines.

Over the next few months, however, the disappointment of picking up an annoying phone subsided. What remained was a subtle sense of comfort, knowing that I had taken a small step toward reclaiming my own attention.

It was good to know that I was not only writing more words, but that I was regaining my freedom of action and control of my own mind. My writing flowed from a stable place of calm, rather than a place of urgent panic. Instead of mindlessly scrolling in my free time, I was finally able to read that book I’ve been waiting to have time for. It was like going back to my childhood – a life before social media, where my time wasn’t defined by what I shared online.

Reduce my time spent on social media It didn’t just take a mental toll, it took a physical toll as well. By spending less time scrolling through my daily life, I freed up time for new hobbies. I fell in love with aerial yoga and hula hooping and even started meditating.

After walking around face down looking at my phone, I started to actually pay attention to my surroundings. I noticed that the seasons were changing. I enjoyed walking somewhere without needing a digital media source to occupy my mind. I ditched my noise-canceling headphones and can now tell the difference between the bird songs of a chiffchaff and a greenfinch.

I finally found the time to engage in things I previously thought I didn’t have time for outside of work. Since losing my sister two years ago, I have campaigned with bereaved families for online safety, attending meetings with MPs and campaigners in my spare time. It’s deeply rewarding to know that I’m spending my offline time putting effort into something I care so much about, instead of consuming content I never chose to view.

Unplugging for a large portion of my day has rekindled my appreciation for the little things that make life so much more fulfilling. Spontaneous conversations with strangers on the bus or in a cafe, which used to be rare, now happen every time I leave the house. I’ve read more books in the past year than I have since I was a kid, because I no longer spend all my free time engaging in rage battles over X.

I used to worry way too much about what strangers online thought of me. I’m a people person who loves sharing my thoughts and connecting with others, so posting on social media has felt natural to me since I first did it on Facebook, when I was 10 years old. .

But the reality is that I wasn’t just posting to express myself and connect with others — I was posting for validation, with likes and comments that felt like a virtual pat on the back. You only really notice this reliance on external validation when it doesn’t come.

Since my mind is less busy thinking too much about how strangers perceive me, I pay more attention to how I can present myself to the people I care about most. When I’m sitting across from someone I love, I no longer want to take a catch-up photo for my Instagram story. Instead, I’m present for the conversation (revolutionary, I know!).

And even though I saw the changes in myself, I also noticed the same thing in my friends, as if by osmosis. Chatting on Whatsapp or iMessage is no longer a priority. Instead, we make time to see each other in person, even if it only happens every month or so. Being more intentional with my screen time has changed my social life for the better and research backs it up; A study this year, passive social media use is linked to loneliness.

The girls’ vacations I discussed with friends, which were previously hypothetical dreams romanticized through text conversations and TikTok exchanges, actually happened. I realized that while a FaceTime conversation is enjoyable, it will only ever be a complement to the quality time you spend when sitting next to a friend. The connections I spent years making online have now started to become a real community, and I now host Logging Off Club events where phones are left at the door and people can make new friends friends.

I managed to finish writing my book in just under a year and didn’t turn social media back on. I kept it at its lowest level because it truly changed my life for the better.

Now I find social networks much less interesting. In the evening, when my Opal time slot ends and I’m free to scroll, I find that I get bored within minutes. It’s rare that I waste hours scrolling in a mindless trance state. I started a Logging Off club with my friend, where we’ll host events to bring people together in person and off our screens, and to spread that feeling of empowerment that comes with reclaiming our lives.

Inasmuch as Generation Zer, 25 years oldIt’s easy to think that we’re destined to be inseparable from our digital devices and the butt of our baby boomer parents’ jokes about social media addiction. But we didn’t ask for that either. Bringing back the intention that characterized the early days of the internet, when screen time was reserved for a corner of our family room and ended when you turned off the screen, can help us reclaim not only our attention, but also our lives.