system
A chat on subreddit /r/NoStupidQuestions
human
The more I read the responses, I think my phone is a major reason why I feel kinda numb tbh. But for the social media detox, is it really idk sustainable bc you’re essentially missing out on a whole lot of info/updates
gpt
Think meaningfully about those updates and the people you follow (that you know IRL). If someone you know went on holiday, do you know about it because when they came back you had a catch-up, or because you saw them posting about it on Instagram? If it is the latter, are you basing a significant amount of your 'friendships' on simply existing on social media with people you know and like and absorbing information about them, instead of making meaningful connections with them?

You can find hundreds, if not thousands, of articles, videos, and books on how social media and the overuse of technology like phones are frying our brains and destroying our attention span. I recommend 'Stolen Focus' by Johann Hari as a starting point. 

If you like to gorge yourself on news and you doomscroll a lot, rationalise that if something is really important, it will make its way to you. We can all benefit from being better informed, but research in 2007 demonstrated that all the information being blasted at one person in a single day (news, radio, internet) was the equivalent to reading 74 newspapers in a day. This was in 2007 - before TikTok and Instagram, before Twitter took off, or the horror of the 24 hour news cycle we have now. If it was 74 newspapers in 2007, how many would it be now? The human brain can't cope with that much information, particularly negative stuff we see all the time. That is why you feel numb and zoned out. 

Try setting limits on your phone to begin with. Or delete an app you know is wasting your time. I promise you will feel better.