Internet Self-Care Day
August 21
About Internet Self-Care Day
Internet Self-Care Day is observed every year on 21 August, encouraging people to take a deliberate, thoughtful pause in their digital lives. Created in 2017 by Serenity Discko, founder of the wellness app Aloe Bud, it is a day to examine how we use the internet, unfollow what drains us, embrace what nourishes us, and reclaim our online experience as something intentional rather than automatic.
What is Internet Self-Care Day?
Internet Self-Care Day is an annual observance founded in 2017 by Serenity Discko, the creator of Aloe Bud, a gentle habit-building wellness app. Discko launched the day after recognising that most wellness apps, her own product included, were designed to reward users for completing goals but rarely addressed the emotional toll that digital environments themselves can take. Internet Self-Care Day is not a digital detox or a call to abandon the internet. Instead, it encourages intentional digital living: curating your feeds, setting boundaries with notifications, stepping away when needed, and using the internet in ways that actively support rather than undermine wellbeing.
When is Internet Self-Care Day?
Internet Self-Care Day falls on Friday, 21 August 2026. It is a fixed annual observance on 21 August each year.
Why Internet Self-Care Day Matters
Research from multiple sources paints a complex picture of the internet’s relationship with mental health. A 2021 study published in JAMA Psychiatry found that higher social media use was associated with increased rates of depression and anxiety among adults. The average person spends over six hours per day online, with much of that time involving passive consumption of content that generates comparison, anxiety, or outrage rather than genuine connection or learning. Internet Self-Care Day provides a framework for addressing this reality. Rather than advocating for total disconnection, which is increasingly impractical in a work and social context that depends on digital communication, the day encourages people to audit their digital habits with the same attention they might give to diet or exercise. National Wellness Month in August provides a full month of context for this kind of self-reflection.
How to Get Involved in Internet Self-Care Day
Here are practical, achievable ways to practise digital self-care on 21 August and beyond:
- Unfollow accounts that don’t serve you – Go through your social media accounts and unfollow anyone whose content regularly makes you feel anxious, envious, or inadequate. Your feed should reflect your values and interests, not your insecurities.
- Turn off non-essential notifications – Most notifications are designed to pull your attention away from what you’re doing. Disable all notifications except those from people you genuinely need to hear from.
- Set screen time limits – Use your phone’s built-in screen time or digital wellbeing settings to set daily limits on your most used apps. Start with a reduction of 30 minutes per day.
- Create phone-free zones – Designate your bedroom, the dinner table, or the first 30 minutes of your morning as phone-free time. Consistent boundaries are more effective than occasional cold-turkey attempts.
- Read something long-form – Replace 30 minutes of scrolling with reading a long-form article, essay, or book chapter. The sustained focus required by long-form reading actively counters the fragmented attention cultivated by social media.
- Have a real conversation – Call or meet someone you’ve been meaning to connect with. Human connection is the internet’s most valuable use and its most underutilised one.
- Audit your email – Unsubscribe from newsletters and mailing lists you no longer read. A cluttered inbox creates low-level anxiety even when you’re not actively reading email.
History of Internet Self-Care Day
Internet Self-Care Day was founded in 2017 by Serenity Discko, the creator of Aloe Bud, a wellness app designed to support gentle, non-judgmental habit building. Discko created the day after reflecting on a paradox she had observed in wellness technology: apps designed to improve mental health were often contributing to the problem by adding yet another notification-driven attention demand to users’ already overloaded digital lives.
The broader context for the day’s creation was a growing body of research and public concern about the psychological effects of social media and constant connectivity. The mid-2010s saw the first significant academic studies linking heavy social media use to negative mental health outcomes, and major technology companies began facing political and public scrutiny for the design choices, notably infinite scroll, autoplay, and algorithmically amplified outrage, that made their platforms difficult to disengage from.
Since its founding, Internet Self-Care Day has been picked up by digital wellness advocates, mental health organisations, and technology writers as an annual prompt for reflection. It falls towards the end of August, a natural point in many people’s year to reset habits before the autumn season brings new work and school demands.
Noteworthy Facts About Internet Self-Care Day
- The average person worldwide spends approximately 6 hours and 37 minutes per day using the internet, according to DataReportal’s 2024 Digital Report.
- Internet Self-Care Day was created in 2017 by Serenity Discko, founder of the Aloe Bud wellness app.
- Infinite scroll, now ubiquitous on social media platforms, was invented by Aza Raskin in 2006. Raskin has since become an advocate for humane technology design and publicly regrets the invention.
- A 2021 JAMA Psychiatry study found significant associations between high social media use and increased rates of depression and anxiety across age groups.
- The concept of “doom scrolling”, consuming a near-endless stream of negative news, became widely recognised during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since entered standard vocabulary for unhealthy internet habits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Internet Self-Care Day?
Internet Self-Care Day is an annual US observance on 21 August, encouraging people to use the internet more intentionally, unfollow toxic content, set healthy digital boundaries, and reclaim their online time for genuinely nourishing purposes. It was founded in 2017 by Serenity Discko.
When is Internet Self-Care Day in 2026?
Internet Self-Care Day falls on Friday, 21 August 2026.
Does Internet Self-Care Day mean I have to go offline?
Not at all. Internet Self-Care Day is not a call for a complete digital detox but rather an invitation to use the internet more mindfully. The goal is intentional, balanced engagement rather than abstinence.
Spread the Word
Share one digital self-care action you’re taking today using #InternetSelfCareDay and #InternetSelfCareDay2026. Whether it’s unfollowing 10 accounts, putting your phone down for an hour, or writing an email instead of a text, small actions add up to a healthier digital life.
Related Awareness Days
- National Wellness Month – Celebrated throughout August, this observance provides a month-long framework for the kind of self-care habits that Internet Self-Care Day promotes.
- Happiness Happens Month – Also in August, this observance celebrates active, intentional joy, a perfect companion theme to digital wellbeing.
- National Hair Loss Awareness Month – Another August health observance, reflecting the broad range of wellbeing topics highlighted during this month.
Links
- Visit the Internet Self-Care Day page on National Today
- Explore more awareness days at AwarenessDays.com
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