Incognito for 24 hours – the outcome.

My last entry, talked about challenging myself to be incognito for 24 hours. That means I would control myself and not check on any status updates from any social media websites such as Facebook, twitter or instagram. For 24 hours I am not allowed to check the feeds, nor updates my status using my computer or my smartphone. So how did I fare. Better than I expected.

It turned out that I could actually control myself from actually making the conscious effort to check my social media feeds. But it was quite difficult, as I have to be consciously aware to stop myself from doing so once I feel the urge to whisk my smartphone from my pocket and begin using the apps. I had to make an extra mental effort to stop doing it before it becomes too late. I did however break the rule within the first 10 minutes of the self-imposed ban after I wrote my previous entry about committing to this challenge. But I realised that it was purely instinctual and unconscious on my part. As the browser that I was using had a quick link to Facebook at the top of it, it had become a habit to clicking on that link to access my Facebook feeds at a click of a mouse button. That habit was so strong that I clicked on it before I realised what was happening. From then on, I told myself that I really needed to be more aware of what I am actually doing while using my computer.

Overall, I don’t think I suffered any withdrawal symptoms, nervous tics, or irritation while I was incognito. So I think I am quite confident to say that I could survive without social media for a day or two.