Why You Should Quit Social Media When You’re On Vacation
|Why You Should Quit Social Media When You’re On Vacation
The entire concept of a vacation is to give yourself an opportunity to step back from daily pressures or work and everyday life. If we are frank with ourselves, a good portion of that pressure comes from social media, so why take it with you when you’re on holiday? Vacations should give you an opportunity to flush out the pressures that social media presents also. Apart from researching the places you’ll spend for vacation, it should end the moment you get on the plane or other form of transport to your vacation spot. Why, you might ask? I’ll be answering that in the next few lines.
1. Enhance Your Safety
We don’t like to think about this, but the truth is that you’re more vulnerable in a new place like a vacation spot than in the place you work or live. Sure, you’ve checked the crime rate in this place before you decided to come here and it was quite low, but remember you’re still new, there will still be people who will try to take advantage of you. You make it easier for them when you post regular updates about your activity. Social media platforms today easily geotag posts so those who are in the same area can see them and from your content, they might decipher you’re a tourist. Managing Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc while on vacation makes you insecure. Resist the urge to post online as it happens. Instead, keep it all until you’ve gotten back home. You can flood everywhere once you get back home. This will help you relive the moments when you get back home too.
2. Focus on Family
While on vacation, your focus should be on your family and the people you’re travelling with or perhaps visiting. Social media can be addictive and all-engrossing. Nothing can frustrate your partner or children more than having to compete with your social media feed for your attention. The truth is, they can’t compete, so don’t make them have to. Make the most of this vacation. Sign out of everything so you don’t get any notification that tempt you to go online. Use this time to focus on mending fences and renewing family ties. Make memories with and for your family, not for the social media. There’s a big difference. You won’t realise until you’ve shut down social media. You’ll notice that you don’t feel the urge to post certain forms of content since there’s no one to ‘like’ or comment. “If you want to laugh, see a comedy, if you want to cry see a drama, if you want suspense, see a thriller”. Quotes about drama should guide the choice of what you watch – keep things easygoing. Once you get back home and the pressures of everyday life, you’ll be thankful.
3. Quit the Comparison Game
Some studies have shown that social media breaks are good for your mental health. We are inundated with the perfect, spotless side of people’s lives on social media. You don’t need to be comparing yourself to others during your vacation, worst of all if some people on your contact list are also on vacation. You don’t want to be thinking someone is having a better time than you and lose sight of the beauty around you. You can also learn how disconnecting from social media will help you to enjoy your vacation.
A vacation ought to be a refreshing experience. Put aside your phone and create memories with your family. Your future self will thank you for making this decision. This is why you should quit social media while you’re on vacation.
Guest Article.