30 days offline: Could UAE teens give up social media?

Dubai: Social media has become deeply woven into the daily lives of teenagers, from keeping up with friends and school activities to following news, discovering opportunities, and simply passing time.

But what would happen if young people in the UAE switched off their social media accounts for an entire month?

For some, the idea sounds difficult because platforms have become a major source of information and connection. Others believe the break could offer an opportunity to focus on studies, hobbies, family, and life away from the screen.

Teenagers have shared with Gulf News their views on whether they could take a month-long social media break and what they think they would gain from it.

For 18-year-old Gogulnath Dhayalan, quitting social media for a month would be a major challenge. As a student, he relies on social media not only for entertainment but also as an important source of news and updates.

“I have become dependent on social media. Using it on a daily basis has become part of my routine, and it's been engraved into my brain that a month without it would make me feel isolated from the rest of the world,” Dhayalan told Gulf News.

He believes one of the biggest challenges would be the constant urge to check social media, particularly because of the fear of missing out, or FOMO.

“Personally, I've been working on fighting the dopamine addiction that these platforms are engineered to create in order to keep us hooked. There's countless times that I've lost while doomscrolling, these are times I can never get back, and I always wish I could. Ever since AI started shaping our algorithms, they have become curated to exactly what we like, which makes it even harder to look away.”

For Dhayalan, taking a break could bring significant benefits, particularly when it comes to sleep and concentration. He regularly uses social media before and after sleeping and has expected that stepping away could help him establish a better sleep routine.

A month offline could also improve his attention span and provide greater mental clarity. But rather than completely rejecting social media, Dhayalan has noted that teenagers should find a healthy balance.

“Completely neglecting social media entirely in today's time isn't a wise choice either. Instead, find the sweet spot that helps you maintain your balance between your personal life and your time online.”

For 19-year-old Bashaar Irfan Naik, a full month without social media would also be difficult. Students have been involved in activities, events, and other commitments, making social media one of the quickest ways to receive news and updates.

Still, Naik tries to regulate his screen time and avoid unnecessary scrolling.

“One of the biggest challenges I see is the decline in the quality of real-life friendships and interactions. Being chronically online can sometimes take away genuine human connection,” shared Naik.

He has also pointed to FOMO and the difficulty of separating reality from the highly polished lives often presented online. Misinformation and fake news have been another concern because information can spread rapidly on social platforms.

Naik has experienced some of the benefits of reducing his social media use during exam periods. Less time online has helped improve his concentration and clarity while giving him more time to reconnect with family, friends, and nature.

“I feel that stepping away from social media reduces the noise around us and gives us some mental peace.”

His advice to fellow teenagers is to use social media for connection, news, learning, and opportunities but do not allow it to replace real-life priorities.

16-year-old Tia Pankaj Jagasia has taken a more confident view of the challenge. She has bared that teenagers can go a month without social media if they set clear boundaries, such as using screen-time limits, deactivating accounts, or deleting apps temporarily.

“Many teenagers generally deactivate their social media accounts during exam time to focus on their studies. It works because once you deactivate your account and maintain self-control, you actually forget about social media for a while until you activate it again. So yes, it is possible if you try hard enough,” explained Jagasia.

Procrastination has been one of the biggest problems associated with social media.

“We end up delaying our studies, assignments, and life in general just to keep doomscrolling. Those one-minute reels completely ruin our real-life patience. Since we’re so used to switching content every minute, we don't feel like sticking with a task for longer than that.”

According to Jagasia, a month without social media could improve concentration and time management, perhaps even allowing students to complete assignments ahead of deadlines.

“You should control social media rather than letting it control you because after all, the memories you create will always be the ones in real life and not on social media.”

For 19-year-old Afra Almesmar, the key to spending a month offline is finding something meaningful to do instead.

She has mentioned that young people could reduce their reliance on social media by replacing it with activities such as learning a new skill, developing a hobby, or turning personal ideas into projects.

Almesmar has highlighted the pressure created by comparing everyday life with what appears online.

“From my experience, it creates this idea of how we should be living and what we should have achieved by a certain age. This can lead to stress, anxiety, and that constant feeling that we're not doing enough,” exclaimed Almesmar.

Taking a break could therefore provide a clearer perspective and help young people focus on their own goals rather than comparing themselves with others.

“Spending a month without social media would teach me the value of time and how important it is to spend it on things that actually benefit me and fulfill me as a person.”

But Almesmar does not see social media as entirely negative.

“We should use social media to inspire us to build our own lives rather than wishing we were living someone else's.”

18-year-old Mizhab Shajahan has underscored that a month without social media is achievable.

He has argued that the problem is not necessarily social media itself, but the point at which users lose control and begin scrolling mindlessly for the next piece of fast-paced content.

One of the less-discussed effects of social media is its potential influence on identity formation.

“Our generation has more or less grown up idolising a certain standard of lifestyle whether it is going famous or becoming ultra rich. This has created a situation where many people from the age ranges of 10 to 22 have a manufactured identity which has been enforced upon them by the mainstream media,” stated Shajahan.

A break from the constant stream of content could also create more room for boredom, something he has seen as valuable for creativity and independent thinking.

“Boredom is what actually creates paths for us to think in unconventional methods and ways which have never occurred to other humans before. Who knows maybe your random thought during a boredom cycle could maybe be your ticket to multiple new opportunities.”

Shajahan has emphasised that the answer is moderation.

“In today’s age and time, many opportunities can be found through social media whether it be about a seminar or exhibition happening locally which you may have never known about. Social media can also be a window for some people to figure out new interests.”

The teenagers’ views differ on whether they could realistically spend a full month offline. But they have stressed that social media itself is not necessarily the problem.

For UAE teenagers, platforms can be useful for news, education, friendships, entertainment, and discovering opportunities. At the same time, excessive scrolling can compete with sleep, studies, family time, hobbies, and face-to-face relationships.

For some, a month-long break could provide a reset. For others, simply setting limits may be more realistic.

Ultimately, the teenagers have suggested that the goal is not necessarily to disappear from social media altogether, but to make sure that time online does not come at the expense of life offline.