Can Social Media Detoxes Help With Creativity?

Taking a time-out from technology, including your smartphone, may help the creative juices flow. (Photo: Tommy Ton/Trunk Archive)

Could you say goodbye to your high-tech gadgets?

Earlier this week Kanye West announced on Twitter that he was getting rid of his smartphone so he “can have air to create.”

Let’s face it — the notion of going on a digital detox sounds freeing. In fact, CBS New York recently reported on a 29-year-old mother from New Jersey who pledged to go without social media for one year when she realized she’d missed her baby’s first steps because she was too busy playing on her phone — something her 7-year-old pointed out.

But is there any validity to Kanye’s theory that his phone could be blocking the inspiration juices from flowing?

“Absolutely, because part of creativity is letting your mind be open to new possibilities,” Elizabeth R. Lombardo, a psychologist and author of Better Than Perfect: 7 Strategies to Crush Your Inner Critic and Create a Life You Love, tells Yahoo Beauty. “When our mind is so cluttered with social media, texts, calls, and checking out one more video on YouTube, it prevents us from being creative.”

Lombardo says that even though technology is designed to make our lives easier, in reality it can bring on extra stress, “and creativity is hampered by stress.” For starters, smartphones can encourage multitasking. “When you’re on your phone texting or social media-ing, that’s multitasking, and we know from the research that we think it’s helpful, but it really isn’t,” states Lombardo.

Then there’s the stress from dealing with FOMO (fear of missing out) — a term that was added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary in April. “We know that the longer people stay on Facebook, the more likely they are to be depressed,” continues Lombardo. And while she believes, psychologically speaking, FOMO has always been present, “we didn’t talk about it as much in the past, but now it’s so prevalent because of social media.”

Lombardo adds that news junkies can also be depleting their creativity by continuously checking the breaking news apps, since “news in and of itself can be stressful and depressing because it tends to be negative.”

Also, technology has brought us into a world where we’re expected to be available 24/7. “When too much is vying for your attention, it can be very stressful,” she states.

While Lombardo understands why Kanye and the mom from New Jersey have made this conscious decision, she says that anyone can boost their creativity and productivity by building better boundaries. For example, set smartphone limits for yourself, like not checking your email and social media pages when you’re spending time with family and friends.

“There’s nothing wrong with social media per se, and it doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing thing,” says Lombardo. “But when you’re focused on everything else that’s going on and not focused on what’s happening here and now, you’re not being mindful — and we know that mindfulness is a way to bring more happiness into our lives. So this is one way to get some control back and get some extra time to allow your mind to open.”

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