I can’t remember the last time when I didn’t have WiFi for over a week. I don’t think I was ever completely offline since I was allowed to use a smartphone as a teenager. YouTube especially has been a platform that I kept coming back to or maybe never left in the first place. But lately I’ve had this itch, this quite but persistent thought, whispering Who would you be without the noise?
To be clear, I don’t think YouTube, or social media is bad in general. I’ve learnt so much through it and found inspiration, company and hope. But at some point I wondered if my thoughts are even my thoughts anymore or if they have been formed by influencers, advertisers and the like over the years…
To find out what life offline would be like, I wanted to quit social media including YouTube for a while now. But I never got myself to actually go through with it since YouTube was a big source of entertainment and even emotional support (hmm).
I’ve done many challenges over the years. Challenges that others found too hard or strict like quitting sugar for a year or not buying anything for a year. Discipline is not the problem for me, it’s commitment to something if I’m not sure that it is worth the commitment. Quitting sugar? No problem, since I knew it was poisoning me. Quitting buying stuff? Hard, but fun, since I wanted to safe for the future. But quitting YouTube, my only brain dead source of entertainment since I don’t watch TV? The platform on which I found so much inspiration and food for thought? Not so easy to quit.
At the end of May 2025, I decided that I want to do a month without any social media, including YouTube. I quit on June 6. It’s been a week. The only brain dead entertainment I have now is playing Hay Day on my iPad (lol don’t judge). Other than that I’m reading books and staring out the window.
Jokes aside, I’m actually looking at the trees and sky or simply my room quite a bit. The last time I did that was before I had access to the internet im pretty sure. It’s honestly a really calming feeling. You just sit and observe. No input, no one trying to convince me to be a certain way, no consumerism ideals imposed on me. Just time and maybe the sound of the wind and birds (and my neighbours).
It’s been a calm week. I find myself reading lots, since it’s my only entertainment (can’t play Hay Day all day). I also just think sometimes. I go for walks and stretch. That’s about it. Leaves me with a lot more time than I had before. I thought I didn’t have enough time to read books since I’m so busy with school and work but turns out my time was just spent watching YouTube. Now I feel like I’m on vacation, I’m reading and relaxing.