This book begins with a familiar scene: someone being taken out of the present moment they are in by a deep longing to check what is happening on social media. It was at this moment in her life that Allie Marie Smith knew that she needed to rethink the way that social media was shaping her life, and her book, Social Media Reset, provides the reader with an encouraging, and at times blunt, guide for how they can “cultivate a more flourishing life, and at the end of your reset, you will be inspired to implement your own boundaries with social media to help you thrive” (3-4).

The book begins by challenging the reader to take a break from the “handheld [dopamine] slot machines” (4) for thirty days and to use that time to intentionally reflect on how social media is affecting you and what healthy habits they want to start practicing so that they are no longer “bystanders in [their own] life” (125). Each of the chapters contains a few pages of honest reflection on how social media affects people; the statistics about screen usage, depression, anxiety, etc help reveal the seriousness with which our phone usage should be approached. Smith does not leave the reader feeling overwhelmed by these reflections but moves on to what this reveals about our hearts and she shows how God created us for and provides better solutions to these longings. The final part of each chapter contains questions for the reader to honestly reflect on their own heart and how it has been affected by social media. For thirty days Smith reminds the reader that “The world will try to tell you that you have to look how she looks and have what she has to be happy. But the secret to joy is basking so deeply in the love of God that you can’t help but overflow with it and share it with others” (140).

This book was intentionally put together to be practical. Not only are the thirty days filled with helpful wisdom and applicable worksheets, but there are several appendices to the book which provide additional worksheets, lists, and prayers for the reader to use as well.

It can be hard to change ones habits, and changing a social media habit which can happen mindlessly can seem incredibly daunting. One of the things which I appreciated about this book is that it acknowledged how disorienting this reset might be, there was no shaming or standards for past or future social media usage. Certain themes continued to show up through the different chapters – looking to God for identity, needing face to face interaction, emptiness of comparing – and it felt like Smith was looking at the different areas of our heart which can be numbed or hurt by social media and gently reminding of Biblical truth.

While the author primarily addresses women in this book, the wisdom in this book is applicable to anyone who finds themselves feeling empty after doomscrolling or worried about the affect social media might be having on them.

Thank you Tyndale House Publishers for providing this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Discover the joy, freedom, and flourishing life that comes with taking a social media break.
Enjoy this book while stop looking at your social media and you will find a difference.

I believe a social media reset is important for all of us and the author does a good job describing exactly why this is so, as well as leading the reader through a reset. However, this book did include a lot of buzzwords, like someone said, and that felt a little bit off to me as well.

Pros: Some good tips for spending quality time with others and limiting social media time.

Cons: This book seems to use a lot of psychology buzzwords like finding your “breakthrough” and prayers that ask God to “empower” you. Also, “showing up as your true self.”

Confusing phrases like: “Live a life bigger than ourselves…” I don’t know what this means.

“When we live from a posture of confidence in who God says we are, we change the world, set others free, and become fully alive.” We cannot set others free but only Jesus can.

“Taking up space” - This is a nonsensical phrase.

The last prayer is a paraphrase of a bunch of Bible verses taken from different contexts, audiences, scriptures, across different timespans from “Your Dad, Almighty God,” pieced together, and written like a letter.

The author does a fair job of discussing the reasons a social media reset might be necessary. I did read two days each night before bed, but missed nights from time to time.

Social Media Reset – A 30-Day Guided Journey to Unplug, Reconnect with God, and Reclaim Your Joy by Allie Marie Smith is a recommend devotional style book for young women that need a break or reset from social media and need some encouragement along the way.

Each day is a short reading, with a devotion that will encourage you to step away for 30 days and take an inventory of the effect social media is having on you. You will learn better ways to use technology and learn from God’s Word, along with prayer, reflection, and practical application. This book will encourage you to unfollow the world and follow the ways of God. You will also learn about how social media usage is affecting our culture. Since I have teenagers, this is a concern of mine, and I know many others.

Here are a few highlights from the book:

The onset of social media has coincided with steep increases in anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicide among young users, especially girls.
If you use your phone for two to three hours a day, you will end up spending roughly six to eight years of your life on your phone. If you use your phone for four or more hours a day, you will end up spending roughly eleven or more years of your life on your phone.
Our fingers were not made to swipe a pixelated screen and watch other people’s lives unfold.
We weren’t made to watch strangers, acquaintances, celebrities, influencers, and even our friends’ lives unfold in perfectly curated filtered photos and 15-second video clips.
We need more of God and less of the world.
We have been made to do hard and holy things and live lives of greatness.
We are to live with eyes wide open. We are urges to live with wisdom and make the most of every borrowed breath we are given. (Ephesians 5:15-16)
Guard your heart and mind and protect your innermost being. We can look at God or the world, light or darkness, good or evil.
Our culture’s collective ambition is to live loudly to generate as much attention and accumulate as much wealth and fame as possible.
We must be gatekeepers of our minds and decide which thoughts stay and which go. (Philippians 4:8)

From the author, Social Media Reset will help you:

Take inventory of social media’s effect on your spiritual, mental, and emotional health
Let go of stress and anxiety and cultivate a life of peace and contentment
Discover life-changing rhythms to enhance your well-being
Draw closer to God and show up for your life with a new level of excitement, joy, and intentionality

While this book wasn’t geared toward my age, I would definitely recommend it to teenage girls and young adult women. So, if you are looking for a change and/or to step away from social media, then pick up this book!

If you're seeking deeper connections, renewed passions, or a more joyful and purposeful life, Social Media Reset can help you refocus on what's important and guide you toward greater fulfillment.