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The Ultimate Guide For Parents Who Want to Quit Social Media For The Holidays

The Ultimate Guide For Parents Who Want to Quit Social Media For The Holidays

As the holiday season approaches, it’s time to think about what you want to do with your free time.

Aside from the organising, decorating, cooking, etc. it might be tempting to spend all of your spare moments on social media, but you should consider whether this is really what will make you happiest.

Social media can be a lot of fun and an important way for people in different parts of the world to connect. The Ultimate Guide For Parents Who Want to Quit Social Media For The Holidays

But there are also some pretty bad side effects that come with using these sites too much.

For one thing, it’s easy for things like distraction and FOMO (fear of missing out) to take over your life if you let them go unchecked. And while social media may seem harmless enough when used as entertainment during downtime, it can become a major problem, if it starts to interfere with your daily life or cause stress.

In addition, the next generation of digital natives isn’t even old enough to use social media on their own yet. If you want them to be safe online and learn how best to protect themselves from the perils of cyberbullying and other dangers, they need quality time offline with their family during the holiday season – where you can actually have face-to-face conversations together instead of using a device as a barrier between you.

If these reasons sound familiar and you’re looking for a way to spend more time with family this season without being glued to your phone or computer screen, then check out our guide below!

How to Quit Social Media for the Holidays:

Talk to your family about your decision and get their support

This is probably the most important step since you’ll need the help of your loved ones to stick to your goal.

Explain to them why you want to take a break from social media and ask them not to post anything on your behalf or invite you to any events that will be happening online.

If possible, try to avoid temptation by removing all of the apps from your phone or computer for the duration of your break.

Social media is usually a big deal at the holidays because it’s particularly easy to use as a distraction when you don’t want to interact with people in real life.

If you can avoid falling victim to this trap and commit yourself to disconnecting, your loved ones will be thankful for the extra quality time they get with you – and so will social media once it’s time for you to return.

Organise your plans for what you'll do instead of using social media

There are plenty of other ways that people like to spend their free time during the holidays – but most of them require some kind of planning ahead since there isn't much flexibility involved.

Don't try too hard; whatever activities inspire the most joy in your family should come first on your list.

Set some ground rules for yourself

Just because you’re not going to be using social media over the holidays doesn’t mean that you will be able to spend all of your time spacing out.

Make sure you set alternative goals for yourself (ie. no television or laptops) and work on meeting those goals every day.

Focus on the fun instead of feeling guilty about not working

Don’t worry if you don’t quite meet your goals every day – this is supposed to be a holiday, after all, and spending that time stressing that you're missing out on deadlines/ emails, etc. is not the aim of the game here!

Dialing back the Social Scroll a little is always better than not acknowledging the issue at all.

Spend quality time with your family instead of using technology as a barrier between yourselves

Make sure everyone takes at least one night off from their devices so that they can focus on bonding with each other instead of getting lost in a virtual world.

Plan fun activities with your family members

If you’re feeling guilty about taking a hiatus from social media, try to plan some low-key fun things to do with the people you care about instead.

Go for early morning walks or make hot chocolate and sit around a fire – anything that gets everyone moving will be a welcome change of pace from sitting in front of computer screens all day.

What To Do Instead:

Spend quality time with your family members

You won't get a better time than the holidays to bond with your loved ones, so take advantage of the fact that everyone will be in one place and ready to spend time together.

Plan out some fun activities that everyone can enjoy – whether it's playing games, going on walks, or watching Christmas movies.

You might even want to try something new this year, like ice skating or sledding down a hill.

Interact in Person

Taking a social media break will help you spend more time interacting in person, and hopefully inspire everyone to turn off their devices for at least part of this time together.

Be sure to take some time out from your busy schedule and enjoy the holiday atmosphere.

Live Performances

Go see live performances that remind you why it’s better to be offline and out in the real world (there is probably something going on near you). This will give you the chance to really enjoy yourself without having to worry about posting anything on social media.

Get Some Much Needed Fresh Air

Walk around in public spaces like parks and malls; even browsing through shops or stopping for hot chocolate can make a perfect diversion from staring at screens all day long.

It's even better if you can walk around with your family or friends, but make use of the fact that it’s acceptable to spend some time alone considering all the amazing people you have in your life!

Volunteer Your Time

Volunteer at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter; this is a great way to spend time with your family and give back to your community. Not only will you feel great about what you're doing, but it'll also give you a new perspective on life.

Start a new tradition

Start a new tradition that doesn’t involve technology in any way. This can be anything from making gingerbread houses to playing board games together.

It really doesn't matter what the new tradition is, as long as it can be enjoyed by everyone, rather than just enjoyed by the people who are lucky enough to hold on to their smartphones.

Detox Every Now and Again

Whenever you start missing your apps too much, schedule another detox and come up with some new ideas so it doesn’t become boring this time around.

Try to go twenty-four hours without checking your devices just for the challenge of it.

Rinse and Repeat

A social media detox should be for life, not just Christmas!

Doing this on a regular basis can help you stay focused and avoid feeling overwhelmed by what is going on in other people's lives - especially people you have never met, know nothing real about and all you ever see is their highlights, not what goes on behind the scenes...

Taking a break from social media can be really beneficial for your mental health and well-being – especially during the holiday season.

Just make sure you set some ground rules for yourself and focus on having fun with your family members instead. Happy holidays!

Wrapping Up

The holidays are the perfect time to detach yourself from social media for a bit, and there are plenty of fun things to do instead.

Taking a break from social media can be really beneficial for your mental health and well-being – especially during the holiday season. Just make sure you set some ground rules for yourself and focus on having fun with your family members instead. Happy holidays!

How do you feel about taking a break from social media during the holidays?

Let us know in the comments below!

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