Why 2023 SI Swim Rookie Mady Dewey Is an Enthusiastic Advocate for a Digital Detox

The social media app co-founder shares her top tips for going offline.

Mady Dewey was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico.Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

July is all about self-care for SI Swimsuit, and this month your favorite models will share their best self-care tips. We’ll delve deep into the specific self-care routines of various models and Swimsuit community members so you can learn about the products and techniques they use to take care of themselves both physically and mentally. Get inspired by these SI Swimsuit models and prioritize your self-care routine with tips from the pros.

Mady Dewey, a 2023 SI Swimsuit rookie, is also the co-founder of metrics-free social media app Herd. The model, who was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico for this year’s issue, has built her platform to be a safe online space for women and non-binary people who want to share content without comparing or being compared.

Working in tech, it makes sense that the ’22 Swim Search winner knows the importance of spending time outside and getting away from screens from time to time. In fact, she considers unplugging from the virtual world a form of self care.

Being in the moment

“I like to really lean into the seasons. I think the biggest thing that you can do is try to have rituals that reflect the light outside,” the California native says. “In the summer, I really try to spend a lot of time in the evening outside, and that usually involves an evening walk where I’m unplugged. A lot of people, like myself, love a podcast walk or a music walk, but in the digital era that we’re in, it’s really hard to find time where you’re just alone with your thoughts. … But even 30 minutes unplugged in the evening can really help you set the rest of your evening and the next day off on the right foot.”

The 26-year-old is also a product marketing manager for creators at Discord, a communication-based social media app. She loves dominating in the tech world, and proving that your career path doesn’t need to look like everyone else’s or be linear. The Socially Well podcast host also loves her offline moments with friends and in nature.

“It is really easy to wanna document everything and post about it, but I think there’s a lot to be said for taking some days where you’re just in the sun with some friends enjoying life, [being] in the moment, not worrying about anything that’s on your phone,” she shares. “So even if it’s a few hours a day, that intentionality can make such a difference.”

Setting boundaries

Dewey knows that phones and apps are designed to be addictive, so the first step in starting to unplug is having the awareness that you are not the problem and curbing any guilt. She suggests purging the people you follow until it’s a list of only people that make you feel good about yourself. She also suggests creating a separate “dopamine-positive account,” where you follow things that make you calm and happy, whether it be nature, inspirational quotes or animals.

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“It’s where you can go when you want that relaxing time, but you don’t necessarily wanna do anything off your phone,” she continues. “That’s one of my favorite [tips] especially on TikTok.”

Dewey, who starts her day with a 10-minute walk, has time limits on her phone—but she has learned a hack to take it a step further. She suggests recognizing that it’s normal to want to use your phone in the morning, so allow yourself to be online for a set amount of time and then move on with your day without your phone.

“You should feel good about the time that you’re spending anywhere, especially online,” she said.

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