Social media detox: Putting down your phone to cleanse of bad habits and addictions

BALTIMORE -- Many of us are trying to start the new year in the right way, and one idea is to put down your phone. 

From TikTok to Instagram to Twitter, we spend a lot of our time scrolling through apps. 

But there are benefits to a social media detox.

Greg Hoplamazian, an Associate Professor of Communication at Loyola University Maryland, recommends starting the year with a "digital de-cluttering."

"It's a time where they say, 'I'm not going to use technology or communication tools, and I'm just going to go without.' And by going without, that will cleanse me of my bad habits and addictions," Hoplamazian said.

Try to not use social media for at least two weeks, so you can take stock of what's really necessary.

"View it as your chance to see what do you not miss at all? And what things actually were useful? So you can go back to using technology after your detox is over, in a way that removes what's extra, and really makes maximal use of what actually provides satisfaction in your life," Hoplamazian said.

According to the Pew Research Center, 72 percent of Americans use social media sites. 

Also, 95 percent of teenagers now have access to a smartphone, and more than half of teens said it would be hard to give up social media.

"The platforms are designed in a way to keep you there as long as possible," Hoplamazian said. "Generally, that's how they make their money, through advertising revenue."

To help with your digital detox, Hoplamazian said you should turn off notifications, set time limits, and leave your phone in a different room.

"The simplest way of thinking about it is, it's a poor use of your time," Hoplamazian said. "You could be doing something not related to technology that actually provides you with more satisfaction or meaning."