Forget Dry January - give up social media instead!

Alex Marsh, in the Spectator this weekend urges us to Forget Dry January: give up social media instead. My own story.  

It’s January and everyone seems to shout about cutting out alcohol or meat for a month. Yet, as someone who’s spent decades guiding entrepreneurs, building marketing strategies, and nurturing authentic connections, I see a different route to a fresh start: a social media detox. Not because online platforms are inherently evil, but because they often drift from being useful tools into insidious time-stealers, quietly shaping the way we think, behave and compare ourselves to others.

The latest iPhone costs over £1000 to own but perhaps *10 times that to use (*in lost opportunity and poor productivity).

Before you make judgements of today's teenagers consider who they are mimicking. Have you noticed how many parents and children are together, yet staring at their phones?

Stepping away from social media for a while can be surprisingly liberating. After decades of helping entrepreneurs fine-tune their marketing and build real human connections, I’ve noticed how easily online platforms can pull us in. At first, the notifications and comments feel like progress: a new business lead, perhaps, or validation for our latest insight. Before long, though, we’re swept into scrolling through highlights of other people’s lives, which so often leaves us feeling oddly depleted. The sheer volume of information is staggering, and the more we consume, the more we risk losing that spark of clarity which is so crucial to creativity, leadership and authentic dialogue.

One Step at a Time

This is my next big fix. I gave up mindless TV years ago and yes, I am slowly winning my battle to avoid mindlessly scrolling through Facebook and YouTube shorts.  Yes, I do trigger a little voice to interrupt my dopamine fix with the words, “Shouldn’t you be doing more with the life you have left”. 

I’m not suggesting we all vanish from the digital world. As someone fascinated by emerging tech, I enjoy the marvels of the digital world, of AI and the ability to stay in touch across continents. Hey, I also earn a living in digital marketing for clients. But too often, these platforms stop being tools we shape and begin shaping us instead. We find ourselves curating every thought for likes, focusing on appearances rather than genuine substance. It’s a distraction that can dull the edge of even the sharpest minds, especially when we’re striving to craft marketing strategies or support entrepreneurs aiming to stand out in a crowded landscape.

Pick a Day

One way to test just how entwined social media is with your life is to take a single day off. Pick any day, switch off the notifications, remove shortcuts on your phone and allow yourself to be fully present with what’s happening around you. If you crave contact, call a friend or visit them. If you feel the urge to fill spare moments, pick up a book or step outside instead. This small break can be a revelation. 

Even a brief pause from the endless scroll might spark new ideas or rekindle a sense of depth in your conversations. 

Saturday

Saturday morning I was speaking at a Men’s Breakfast in Wells on the Joys of a Flying Camera and I had left my phone at home. I was ‘sans phone’ all morning and the world didn’t shudder to a halt.

Am I going to do it again, for longer?

Yes, because for just a few short hours, it felt as if I was back in control again.