As I step back from social media, my intention (of late) has not been to impose a clean break (or secretly, is it…?). My goal instead is to take a more practical, intentional approach to its use. That is, to stop checking it a gazillion times a day, ignore all the cat and dog memes, and hopefully build meaningful connections and engage in more artful conversations.
Sometimes stepping back from social media feels like one of those lofty New Year’s resolutions I abandoned making years ago. The kind where the intention is good, but the execution abysmal. This time around, though, I’m better at not frequently checking social media because I deleted the apps from my phone (admittedly, I’m behind on responding to comments and DMs, but getting there). Do you ever post to Instagram from your laptop? Not the most user-friendly experience and it really kills any desire to log in! So, a two-hour period on Thursday mornings has become my dedicated social media time for the week.
One question I keep asking myself: why is it so difficult to pull away completely from social media? Is it because I’m afraid of what I might ‘miss out’ on? Is it because I’m listening (erroneously?) to the ‘experts’ who tell me my success depends on my presence there?
While I have been somewhat successful in limiting my presence on social media, I still struggle with how much I check the news that, on most days, is utterly depressing.
Detaching from social media, and to a greater degree my overall online presence, is about curating more space—in a busy and chaotic world—for [my] self. Self-love. Self-acceptance. Self-actualization.
It is a journey with valleys to wade through and mountains to climb. But, day by day, it will lead me home. To the place where I belong. To me simply being me.
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