Personal Essay: A Social Media Fast


Sometime over the last seven to ten days, you should have completed a "social media fast." Hopefully, this entailed you curtailing your social media use for at least a week. For this personal essay, detail your experience limiting your social media use. Additionally, you should submit your seven-day log (one paragraph per day), chronicling your fast experience—this will comprise 20% of the assignment.

In your essay, consider:

  • What were your feelings about the fast before you began?
  • How did the fast affect your mood?
  • What did you do to fill the time you typically spend on social media?
  • What did the fast teach you about the habits you have surrounding your social media use?
  • What did you learn about your own habits surrounding social media?
  • Proponents of social media fasts often tout the mental health benefits of a break. Do you find your fast helped your own mental health?
  • Will you change any habits now that the fast is over?
  • Did you miss your social media as much as you thought you would?
  • If you failed your fast, where do you think went wrong?*

*Failing the fast, does not disqualify you from the assignment. Instead, be reflective on why you failed.

Required:

  • MLA Style
  • ≈ 375 words (2 pages)
Submission window: Thu 2.23 - Tue 2.28 (via Canvas)

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