It might be tempting to stay stuck to your phone — especially if you’re still social distancing or stuck inside due to weather — but there’s a strong chance that social media is taking its toll on your life. Between negative news articles and the ever-elusive dopamine boost hidden in TikTok and Reels, has social media really been much good for you?

Study after study has linked social media use to increased anxiety and depression as well as — ironically — feeling less connected with others, but for some reason, we keep on scrolling and swiping and typing. If you’re tired or feeling miserable looking at your feed, consider a social media cleanse to see if things change. We’ve got 6 reasons to take a break from social media.

6. You’ll Get Away From Politics

2020 was a political disaster, and 2021 saw the landscape become a literal battleground. Between insurrection, impeachment, lack of accountability and Ted Cruz fleeing the state amid a winter disaster while everyone else is stir crazy from being stuck inside, there’s a good chance that your timeline has a friend or two bringing unwanted tension and drama your way. Don’t let their negativity seep into your life. When you step away from social media and engage people in more organic ways, you’ll be surprised at how polarizing life doesn’t have to be.

5. You’ll Stop Comparing Yourself

Women have a bad habit of comparing themselves to physically beautiful women and men do the same when it comes to possessions, with both groups often overlooking the critical fact that they’re fighting an unfair battle. Your favorite celeb isn’t showing off their reality — they’re giving you the highlights. They have teams of people making sure their hair is perfect, the outfit is stellar, and the lighting is pristine. They aren’t showing you their bad moments. Believe it or not, your favorite celeb is human. The Instagram thotties are humans. They all fart — and it stinks. They trip and fall. At some point, their breath stinks. And at some point, they have to take off the makeup, fair hair, and lashes. That’s the stuff you don’t get to see. When you cut their highlights out of your life, it’s a lot easier to enjoy the experiences you do have.

4. Way Less Pointless Fights

All those social media revolutionaries can keep that slactivism away from your life. How many times have you found yourself in the midst of an emotionally fuelled back-and-forth about an issue that neither of you have any actual sway in? How much energy have you given to Trump supporters? How often have you argued with a Facebook friend about defunding the police? How many times have you taken time to try to explain why Black lives matter — or why there are no blue lives? You may win those battles but neither of you are winning the way. Take a break from social media and stop engaging in pointless skirmishes and put that energy into something of substance. If you are politically inclined, use that energy to help an organization.

3. You’ll Form Complete Thoughts

Believe it or not, the way we consume media affects our mental capacities. Multiple studies, including this one, have shown that social media is decreasing our attention spans. Through analyzing decades worth of information, they’ve found that the ever-accelerating pace of social media is compacting our ability to extend thought, and give information critical analysis. A study into the global top 50 Twitter hashtags showed that in 2013, hashtags remained at the top for an average of 17.5 hours, compared to just 11.9 hours in 2016, and that figure has been gradually decreasing since then.

2. You Won’t Seek Validation

Do you remember the days when people cooked a meal just to eat it? Or when special moments were kept between the people involved? It’s crazy to think how much of our personal life we share with practical strangers and how often our appreciation of those things is dependent on their approval and praise.

1. You’ll Avoid Stress

You’d be surprised at how many people you know that don’t care about safety measures in a pandemic...that’s stress you don’t need in your life. Social media is full of people looking attention to feed into the drama of their lives or the obstacles they may be dealing with. In a lot of cases, either they’re looking for someone to come to their rescue or they’re looking for attention. It’s easy for people to take on the problems of others, but that doesn’t mean you have to. Getting rid of social media can help you get away from the stress that can come from knowing a friend is in need but not being able to help.

Take these points into consideration as you look ahead to the rest of the year. Taking a break from social media might be the change of pace you need.