Ever since creating a Snapchat and Instagram nearly five years ago, I’ve had a love/hate relationship with social media. Nonetheless, the negatives outweighed the positives, and last winter, I said goodbye to Snapchat and Instagram for good.

1. FOMO doesn’t exist in your world

The first time I heard the word FOMO, I actually had no idea what it meant. Because I don’t have Instagram or Snapchat anymore, I never have the fear of missing out on some party or event because I’m not watching videos or looking at photos of other people’s lives. Instead, I’m focusing on my own life and enjoying what’s happening in it.

2. You become more productive with your time

Whenever I need to take a break from homework, I don’t spend my time scrolling through social media. Rather, I’ll read a book, write, go to the gym, call my family, or hang out with friends. There’s so much going on in the world beyond the screens of our phone.

3. You get to make more friends IRL

Most people when waiting in line for food in the cafeteria or coffee shop will resort to checking their phone and seeing what’s new on social media. But not me. Not having Snapchat or Instagram, I look at my phone a lot less, which means I’m more aware of my physical surroundings. Sometimes, I’ll just people-watch (always interesting) or if I’m feeling brave, I’ll start talking to the person standing next to me in line. Sure, it might be weird at first just starting a conversation with a random stranger, but most of the time, they’re super nice and it definitely makes the time go by a lot faster. I’ve even made a few friends at school this way.

4. You learn to love the mystery

Sometimes, I’ll wonder what’s happening in my old high school crush or middle school friends' lives. Like, “What college do they go to?” or “Does he have a girlfriend?” And while this can get frustrating having tons of questions form in my head and nowhere to go to for answers, at the end of the day, it’s fun just imagining or guessing what’s happening in their lives instead of knowing the truth.

5. You realize who your true friends are

Keeping in touch with friends without Snapchat and Instagram takes extra effort, and most of my friends don't know what I'm up to on a daily basis. But I’ve learned that my real friends are the people who go out of their way and make time to FaceTime, get lunch, and catch up. They don’t just keep a friendship alive by liking my vacation photos posted on Instagram and say, “Yeah I have a vague idea of what my friends are up to this summer.” Instead, they want to hear the details about my experiences, what I saw, ate, heard, touched, and felt. They care about the details of my life beyond that 10 second Snap story.

When we get together, we have something to talk about. Questions to ask. Stories to hear. Knowledge to digest. The topic of conversation is new, making our talks more engaging and exciting as we haven’t seen or heard from each other.

6. You get to live in the moment

As cheesy as it sounds, the feeling of truly living life without having the need to capture it on Snapchat or even take a photo is liberating. Just enjoy life with the people you’re with and focus on what’s happening in the present.

7. You don't need validation from others

Gone are the days when I felt better about myself from achieving more likes on my Instagram photo. Now, I seek validation through other outlets and activities, and this has given me a happier and healthier heart, mind, and soul.

Now this is just my experience without Instagram and Snapchat. Obviously, not everyone who has Instagram and Snapchat is a social media addict and has the inability to live in the moment or doesn’t have hobbies. Nonetheless, I challenge everyone to put down their screens and go a day without social media to see what life is like without it. Leave your phone in a drawer. Or, if you want to go one step further, delete the apps from your phone for a week. Your experiences might enlighten you.