Sophia Thiel
She was lonely during her social media break
Sophia Thiel
© Getty Images
Fitness influencer Sophia Thiel has withdrawn from the public for almost two years. Now she confesses: the time was partly lonely.
Sophia Thiel, 25, has 1.3 million followers on Instagram and 986.00 on YouTube – a fan base that others can only dream of. During the break (May 2019 to February 2021) the channels were idle. But Sophia Thiel went even further: In a self-experiment, from April 2019 to April 2020, not only as a producer, but also as a consumer, she renounced all social networks and deleted the corresponding apps from her mobile phone. She explains why in a new YouTube video.
Sophia Thiel deleted her social media apps
"Over time I noticed that social media was doing me less and less," reports Sophia Thiel. There are many beautiful things to see on Instagram, but that was sometimes the problem: She compared herself to other, apparently "perfect" people. "It made me feel like a failure. I knew I had to distance myself a bit from that, I have to find myself again. Recognize my own worth."
After she arrived in Los Angeles – where she spent part of her time off – she cleared her cell phone of social media apps. "It was so easy for me. I had zero temptations." That made her doubt herself, after all, it was her job as an influencer to be in contact with her fans. Nevertheless, she carried out her plan. But like the use of social media, the "digital detox" also has its downsides.
With the Instagram break came loneliness
"Then I was completely alone. Then there was also loneliness because I no longer had any connection to the outside world. I almost had the feeling that I am no longer part of society", confesses Sophia Thiel.
Over time, she started to deal with herself and tried to find confirmation within herself, not through likes and positive comments from outside. The question of what she really wanted in life also advanced her. It made her feel free and relieved of the pressure to meet the expectations of others.
Appeal to all social media users
Sophia Thiel emphasizes that it is not your message that everyone should now unsubscribe from social media platforms. She advises her viewers much more to ask themselves three questions: "What does social media give you? Do you achieve your goals better with social media? Are you happier with social media?" If so, you're doing everything right. However, if you feel pressured, like they did back then, then you should limit your use of social media.
Sophia Thiel's tips for this:
- "Set yourself clear social media times" (switch off your mobile phone)
- "Set yourself conscious offline me-time" (time in which you do something good for yourself)
- "Who am I following and do these pages make me feel good?"
Source used: youtube.com/Kanal by Sophia Thiel
This article originally appeared on Gala.de.