Students are repeatedly told that social media harms their mental health and daily life, but they consistently choose to push this fact aside.

Serlee Masihinadi, a junior at Hoover High School, deleted all of her social media for a week.

After describing her first day without social media as, “bored out of her mind,” she described her last day as, “productive and motivated.”

Almost 5 billion people in the world use social media. Recent research has shown that teenagers who use more than three hours of social media per day start to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety. 

On her first day, Masihinadi stated that she felt like she had withdrawn from using her phone. She said that she was bored and did not know what to do with her free time. 

Because of this, Masihinadi was forced to do other things, such as studying more, entertaining her dog and doing her homework sooner rather than procrastinating. 

Throughout the week, she got more done without having to constantly go on her phone to check social media. By the last day, Masihinadi’s mindset had completely changed. 

“Honestly, I felt light, like I had nothing to worry about. I wasn’t paranoid about anything, my screen time went down to three hours, which is the lowest it’s been, and I felt much more productive,” she said.

Research proves that getting rid of social media reduces the fear of missing out, anxiety and loneliness. By the end of her week, Masihinadi said that she felt much healthier, more relaxed, less exhausted and more motivated.