This year I have taken a considerable step back from social media, even going so far as to delete my Twitter and Facebook page, the two accounts I used regularly to promote my blog. At first, it was hard to even get around the idea of deleting my social media. How else would anybody know I exist? Seriously, that was one of the thoughts I had. Embarrassing, I know. Taking a step back from social media made me feel deeply vulnerable, and I’m not sure why exactly. Maybe it was the feeling of missing out on what my friends were doing or the feeling that my blog wouldn’t grow without social media. Perhaps it was a combination of both.
Photographer is Wilfred Iven via stocksnap.io
This year, many of my friends, and people I’ve met through blogging and my church, have taken a considerable step back from social media, deleting their social media accounts or freezing their blogs altogether. I’ve noticed a trend of not posting or sharing as much online among those I stay closely connected to. Whatever their reasons may be, making this connection ignited something in me something that I couldn’t shake.
Why was I spending so much time on Twitter in the mornings before I got up? Why do I care who posts a new photo online? Why does scrolling through my Facebook Feed make me feel so down?
It was either in October or November that I decided to delete my Twitter page and my Snapchat. In December, I deactivated my Facebook page and made my Instagram private, although I do accept requests to follow me from my readers.
The first thing I realized after clearing my phone of these social media apps was the fact that, wow, I have so much free time on my hands. I can read a book, write, clean the house without feeling tempted to check my phone. I honestly don’t even know what I was checking my phone so much for. Scrolling through my feed was like some mindless time suck I couldn’t get out of. Once I broke the habit, I found myself much more productive. I was actually getting things done that before, I didn’t have the time for.
I think there are so many benefits to using social media so this blog post isn’t to say that I’m against it. I love looking at artwork and sketches on Instagram so it’s a no brainer for me that I’d keep that on my phone. I still have social media accounts that are up and running, like my Pinterest account. Taking a step back from social media meant realizing what were the aspects of social media that affected me negatively and doing my best to reduce my consumption of that type of material.
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Happy New Year!
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