Student shares depressing reality of not being on social media after taking three year break

When it comes to social media, most of the conversation revolves around how to curb our scrolling habits and avoid the pitfalls of addiction. Rarely do we hear about the benefits (if managed carefully) and even less about what can be lost by stepping away completely.

One student, Billy (@1ilyp00h), has shared her reflections after spending three years offline. Speaking to her 200,000 viewers on TikTok, she explained that while there were positives to going social media free, there were also significant drawbacks.

Her first point was around motivation and inspiration. By leaving platforms behind, she said she missed out on seeing people share their achievements, which often "challenges" others to push themselves further.

"People are doing really crazy, cool things, and it's really inspiring to see what's possible," she explained. Since returning, she feels more encouraged to try new things.

Billy’s second reflection focused on friendships, noting that it’s easy to "lose some connections simply because social media makes it so easy to stay in contact with your friends."

She added that she often felt left out of conversations when people referenced viral content and were "bonding over it".

Her third point struck a more personal note: without social media, she documented her life "so much less".

While living in the moment was initially the goal, she admitted it hurt to realise she now has "a huge chunk of her life where she doesn't have photos of what she did."

Finally, Billy touched on the more fleeting bonds social media helps maintain.

"When I was at high school, I'd go to so many camps over the summers," she explained, adding that you create "very specific bonds" during those times. Without social media, many of those connections faded.

Inevitably, Billy's insights struck a chord with her viewers, who chimed in on the action in the comments section.

"Cultivating a healthy relationship with social media is something that we really need to learn and instil in the next gen," one wrote.

Another added: "TikTok is dangerously addictive; however, it has single-handedly upgraded every area of my life!"

Meanwhile, a third quipped: "I think part of it is finding balance with social media. It would be incredibly hard not to have at least one account. I haven’t had an ig since Jan, and I really haven’t felt any negatives other than the fact I can’t keep up with certain local biz events."

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