Can You Leave Social Media for 40 days?

By JESSICA ROSS

Wake up, check Facebook, check Instagram, check Twitter, get out of bed, go to the bathroom, brush your teeth, wash your face, check your phone again.  Is this or something similar  this your daily morning routine? Are you addicted to social media?

To find out, take a quiz here and find out your results.

How would you go about every day habits if you were unplugged from social media for 40 days?

Lent, a religious observance, begins on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18  and ends April 2.  The purpose of Lent is for the believer to prepare through prayers, penance, sacrifice, and good works in preparation for Easter.  Some people often give up certain things to better themselves, such as sugar filled foods, or say that they are going to exercise everyday for 40 days.  But, could you give up social media for 40 days?

Don’t Pull the Plug

The Pew Research Center found that in 2014, 71 percent of online Internet users used Facebook while 26 percent of Internet users used Instagram.

“I would have a lot of trouble giving up social media for Lent.  I believe that Facebook would be the hardest outlet to give up.  I am constantly on Facebook and Instagram and seeing what people are doing throughout the day,” said Gina Viola, 23, of Warren NJ.

Viola could not even imagine not using social media for a day but says that if she absolutely had to, she would utilize her time by going to the gym, since she never does, or focus on school or relevant work.

According to newspolls.org, 41 percent of Americans have observed Lent by making changes to their everyday lives, according to 1039 adults.

“I think I can! I think I can!”

Others say that while it would be difficult, it would be manageable to say goodbye to social media for 40 days.

“Forty days without social media would be manageable for me. It’s definitely a habit to check social media, and I do enjoy Instagram, but it’s not something that is extremely important or a priority to me,” said Leanne Wahling, 23, of Collegeville, Pa.

Wahling says that rather than browsing through social media, she would read a book, do a lot of thinking while waiting for class, or do thinking in general.

Could You Kick The Habit?

Rather than staring at your phone for hours, why not talk to the people around you?  According to Forbes, only 7 percent of communication is written or verbal, while 93 percent is done through nonverbal body language.

“I was trying to think back when we didn’t have texting, and what it was like walking around without a phone in your hand,” Wahling said.

So could you say goodbye to checking social media religiously for 40 days?  Try and disconnect, even if it is just for a day or two.