Mental & emotional health for 2026 – diary of social media detox

Mediation, Musings, , , , , ,   1 comment  

I read a lot about the effects of chronic, daily hours-long engagement with social media. Endless smartphone scrolling. The go-to thing when there’s any idle time. I see such behavior play out in the gym at my health club as well.

Replica of Thoreau’s cabin near Walden Pond (August 30, 2010). Attribution: RhythmicQuietude at en.wikipedia

I also support Fair Play, a nonprofit advocating awareness of childhood harms and ways to help kids live a screen-free childhood (the freedom to just be kids). And, naturally, addressing the question of at what age screens make sense.

The research has been clear as to the effects. But I find personal accounts of abstaining from social media particularly interesting. A detox, so to speak, much like some who do food fasts for a few days.

So, here’s a diary of dealing with negative drift. And note that the author is in his 40’s, with likely a fully developed frontal lobe [1], unlike a child or adolescent facing the same onslaught of social media slop.

It’s a time out from social media, sort of a retreat to a more natural rhythm, perhaps an homage to Henry David Thoreau’s much longer classic memoir of Walden Pond:

There has been much speculation as to why Thoreau went to live at the pond in the first place. E. B. White stated on this note, “Henry went forth to battle when he took to the woods, and Walden is the report of a man torn by two powerful and opposing drives – the desire to enjoy the world and the urge to set the world straight“, … Others have assumed Thoreau’s intention during his time at Walden Pond was “to conduct an experiment: Could he survive, possibly even thrive, by stripping away all superfluous luxuries, …

• PC World > I did a 1-week social media detox. These 4 immediate benefits surprised me by Dave Parrack, Contributor, PCWorld (12-29-2029) – Can a modern day “Walden Pond” retreat – life without social media, change fitness and mental health?

Key points (quoted)

  • I instantly became more productive
  • I went out for more walks outside
  • I slept better and longer
  • My mood improved massively over the week

As someone in their 40s, … I am currently active on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. … I am also generally in read-only mode on X while still debating whether to delete my account entirely. … Working from home in my own office … I’ve fallen into the same trap everyone else has of defaulting to scrolling through content whenever I have a moment to spare. And this is something I dislike about myself. I also feel like the endless barrage of information (and misinformation) is having an adverse effect on me.

Photo by John P. Healy

Notes

[1] Our brain’s frontal lobe has been the poster child of cognitive & emotional growth from childhood into your adulthood. As, for example, regarding decision-making and judgment. But brain research (neuroscience) shows a more complex, ongoing development.

Addiction to social media’s slop and negativity, no matter what your age, likely hinders (stunts) or harms brain health.

• Medical Xpress > No, your brain doesn’t suddenly ‘fully develop’ at 25. by Taylor Snowden, The Conversation, edited by Lisa Lock, reviewed by Robert Egan (12-27-2025) – Here’s what the neuroscience actually shows.

1 comment on “Mental & emotional health for 2026 – diary of social media detox”

  1. Detox diet

    Screen-time … a complicated reality. Is it like, “Screens, you’re hooked on them, but you can’t hack it without them?”

    The fault may not be in our wishes, but in wishing on the wrong stars:

    Setting our sights –
    wishing – on tech delights,
    so much nearer than stellar lights

    Amused by the wizardry of Oz rather than infused by social agency. Content to “bowling alone” rather than together in leagues.

    • Washington Post > Screen-time worries send parents in increasingly desperate directions by Heather Kelly (11-17-2025) – Helping parents navigate a complex ecosystem that wasn’t originally designed with children in mind.

    A professional screen-time coach [Daniel Towle] who works with families one-on-one, the 36-year-old says many have the same question: What’s the perfect amount of screen time to make kids behave?

    Managing technology has become an overwhelming part of modern parenting. Caregivers are trying to be IT departments, screen-time police, content filters and scam educators. They have to keep up with the latest risks, like AI companions, while struggling with their own tech usage. To cope, some adults are seeking outside help from specialists like Towle, parenting coaches, online communities and even camps where they can send their kids for a technology “detox.”

    Tech use is often a stressor for the parents who hire Samantha Broxton, a parenting coach and consultant in California. She believes the abundance of screens in kids’ lives is partially the result of fewer common spaces, less outdoor play and a lack of other systems that keep kids of all ages engaged and part of a community.

    Comments Summary

    The comments on the article about technology detox camps for kids, like Reset Summer Camp, largely criticize the idea as an expensive and unnecessary solution. Many suggest that parents should take a more active role in setting boundaries and limiting screen time themselves, rather than relying on costly camps. Some comments highlight the role of schools in increasing screen time and suggest that societal changes, such as banning devices in schools or implementing stricter parental controls, are needed. Overall, the sentiment is that parents should be more involved and proactive in managing their children’s technology use.

Comments are closed.