If Léna Situations managed to go a month without screens, so can you

If the jingle “I got no money, like it or not I’m funny” still echoes in our heads months after the end of the August vlogs, it’s because the radiant and cheerful Léna Mahfouf (known as Léna Situations on social media) has a way of lighting up our screens and bringing positivity to her followers’ lives. However, this positivity is not always reciprocated, as she has been the target of haters for years, constantly and relentlessly. Combined with a job that makes her the queen of being “chronically online,” a break from social media and screens seemed like a natural choice for this YouTube star. “No scrolling, no drama, no likes”: this is how she began her month of disconnection to reconnect with herself, ironically documented in a 40-minute video uploaded two days ago on her YouTube channel. If the mayor of Paris and the internet managed to achieve this, anyone can.

Armed with her little pink flip phone, Léna embarked on her digital detox journey. While the idea is to completely disconnect from the internet and its negative aspects, let’s be realistic: having some form of contact with the outside world is essential for survival in today’s era. She opted for this modern-day 3310 for emergencies. She began her journey by limiting screen usage to work-related hours for her employees, then gradually reduced their presence until achieving their complete absence in her otherwise hyper-connected life. No music, no podcasts, no movies, or endless scrolling for distraction: just books, coloring, sports, and friends. If someone whose job revolves entirely around the internet can maintain a social and professional life during weeks of digital absence, what’s stopping the rest of us? Living for the cameras has become almost second nature for Gen-Z. Moments of laughter with friends are filmed, a decent outfit not photographed feels wasted, an artist’s career can take off from a 15-second TikTok sound, and even embarrassing moments that should remain private are shared for laughs or empathy. Yet Léna, born in 1997, remembers a world where photos were taken on a Nintendo DS, music and news were only on the radio, and the only audience for our secrets was a Diddl diary.

After her period of exile ended, the return to a connected life came with its consequences: 10,000 followers lost on Instagram, unpleasant articles on BFM TV, and not-so-kind tweets. This naturally raises a question: is it possible for a young creator, who produces wholesome content and doesn’t seek trouble, to exist safely and peacefully (including mentally) on social media? Despite a challenging return to reality, Léna’s video and the recap of her offline month paint the picture of a young woman more present, rested, and focused on her well-being and her relationship with herself. In a sea of increasingly anxiety-inducing content, following a creator who, despite living a life different from most, experiences the same emotions, insecurities, and moments of solitude as her audience is a breath of fresh air.