Just over three months ago, I stepped back from social media. I’d left Twitter before that, but realized I needed a cleaner break. I didn’t just deactivate my active accounts. Where I could (Instagram and LinkedIn; I’ll get to Facebook), I deleted them. And when it came to Instagram, I was even more intentional. I deleted every post, removed every follower, and unfollowed everyone I’d been following. Because I knew I would eventually return to social media, but I didn’t want to just pick up where I left off. I wanted to start over with a new approach.
When it came to Facebook, I opted to deactivate my fan page. The problem with that was that it had to remain active if I still wanted to use Facebook Ads, which I did. My only option then was to go radio silent.
The Dilemma
Let me be honest. Apart from the likes and odd comments my posts received, I’d wondered for a long time if being on social media mattered [to me]. And if it did, or didn’t, it was never clear in my mind about why I was on social media. As a writer/creative, was I hoping to sell more books? Was I hoping to inspire other creatives? Showcase my talents? Hope that something would go viral? Admittedly, yes. To all of that on some level. But it never felt, to a certain degree, genuine because I didn’t feel like it accurately reflected who I am.
As a result, managing my social media accounts left me feeling overwhelmed. I struggled to create and post content while working a full-time job and write. And then social media content creation took precedence over my creative writing…because I allowed it to. I’d forgotten who I was.
This is Who I Am
I am a writer. But that is only one part of my identity. And when it comes to social media, common practice is to create different accounts for different niches. I tried that. I am an avid runner (and I’m currently training for the TCS Waterfront Marathon in October), and a foodie. So, I had created separate Instagram accounts for writing, running, and food. And then I had to manage them, which I did poorly on top of everything I was trying to do.
But writing, running, food, and a host of other interests are what makes me Marcus Lopes. It seems counter-intuitive for me to separate them out on social media. When I do that, I’m providing snippets of who I am. No one gets to see the whole me, to truly understand who I am. My writing, running, my interest in food—everything—is connected. Everything I do, everything I am, is reflected in, and influences, my writing.
In the Absence of Social Media
Stepping back from social media reminded me of who I am, and what is important in my life. My intention wasn’t to quit social media permanently, but to anchor myself—to focus on deep work and to become indistractable. I wanted to embrace, as Nir Eyal explains in his book, Indistractable, being indistractable: “striving to do what you say you will do.”1
Here’s the thing. It doesn’t matter if it’s social media, streaming services like Netflix or Disney+, video games, junk food or any other distraction. Getting rid of them isn’t going to make me happy, or eliminate a procrastination habit, or let me be my best self. As Eyal reminds us, our responsibility is to manage them.
A ‘New’ Approach
Coming back to social media, I’ll be using it with stricter boundaries that I’m setting for myself—when I use it, how I use it, and for how long I use it. Instagram, and to a lesser extent Facebook, will be my platforms of choice. And on Instagram especially, I’m not going to create silos. As I mentioned earlier, I’m a writer, runner, and blogger who loves to bake. So, if you follow me there, you’ll get to know all of me. I’ll share what I’m working on as a writer, how I’m progressing (or struggling) with my marathon training, my latest blog articles, and occasionally what I’m baking.
So, I’m back. And I’m looking forward to getting to know you…again.
- Eyal, N. (2019). Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life, Dallas, BenBella, p.15. [↩]
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