Marcus Lopés

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social media

These are Crazy Times

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these are crazy times

These are crazy times. Yes, crazy because of how the COVID-19 pandemic upended lives, and in some ways is still wreaking havoc. Crazy because politics are more divisive, and ugly; and politicians more willing to divide than unite to win re-election. Crazy because, in 2022, you can still walk into a school or grocery store and kill randomly, and those in positions of power who can enact measures aimed at curbing gun violence still do nothing. Crazy, yes, because a madman wages an illegal war against Ukraine…and what is the world really doing to stop it?

And it doesn’t stop there. [Read more…] about These are Crazy Times

Stepping Back (Again) from Social Media

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It takes discipline not to let social media steal your time.
— Alex Ohanian

As a writer with a day job — and getting older — I am thinking more about how I spend my time. Writing a book isn’t easy, and it involves a huge time commitment. For me, it means getting up in the middle of the night to write before heading to work. That generally means that in the evening I’m too mentally exhausted to write.

A few weeks ago, I spent a couple of weeks monitoring my daily screen time. I was flabbergasted by what I learned about myself. Some days I’d watch a show/movie on Prime Video, play a game, check in on social media, and/or catch up on news headlines (especially after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine). There were weeks when my screen time averaged 9 hours (or, sadly, more) a day. During that period, I had one utterly unfocused, unproductive day when I spent more than 14 hours using my phone. Scary! [Read more…] about Stepping Back (Again) from Social Media

Is this all there is to life?

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Digital minimalism definitively does not reject the innovations of the internet age, but instead rejects the way so many people currently engage with these tools.” — Cal Newport, Digital Minimalism 

It’s not new. I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with social media. Perhaps it is because, by nature, I’m an introvert. Social interactions—with people I care deeply about, yet even more so with those I don’t—leave me drained.

Over the past four to five years, I’ve tried to find a ‘balanced approach’ to social media. But I haven’t succeeded. At times I go all in, posting regularly and consistently as the experts tell us we should to build an audience. Other times, I withdraw for a few weeks…or a few months. Whether I’m online or offline, both states create a feeling that I’m ‘missing’ something. [Read more…] about Is this all there is to life?

7 Days of Bliss

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It’s like a magic pill. The moment I turn off social media, everything falls away. The overwhelm. The doubt. The fear of both success and failure. It’s the easiest way to get back to myself, to remind myself of what really matters. So, that’s what I did last week. I unplugged from social media, and that gave me seven days of bliss.

The ONE Thing

7 days of blissWhen life gets busy, and I feel overwhelmed, some of the things I love fall to the wayside. Like listening to podcasts. During my time away from social media, I downloaded a few episodes from the ‘Achieve Your Goals with Hal Elrod’ podcast. Elrod’s interview with Geoff Woods, the Vice-President of The ONE Thing, stopped me in my tracks. The conversation reminded me about all the ways I’ve gotten off track. And that to achieve my goals, I had to simply focus on one thing. My ONE thing. Writing. [Read more…] about 7 Days of Bliss

The Inside Scoop Behind My Social Media Blackout

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At the end of 2019, I took a break from social media. Overwhelmed and approaching burnout, I needed to take charge of my daily schedule. And, most importantly, I wanted to stay focused on what matters most: writing. Not just that. I realized I spent too much time reaching for my phone, scanning the headlines on BBC.com, checking the likes and comments on Facebook posts, or my blog stats.

blackoutOn 1 December 2019, I began a social media blackout. I deleted the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram apps from my phone. I used Freedom — an app that blocks distracting apps and websites — to restrict access to social media and news sites between 12:01 am and 8:00 pm daily. Why did I choose that time frame? As a morning person (rising between 3:30 and 4:00 am), it was crucial that I didn’t have access to the sites and apps I wanted to avoid as I started my day. And I’m usually beginning my bedtime rituals around 8:00 pm.

How we use the time gifted to us is our choice. Going dark reinforced that for me. [Read more…] about The Inside Scoop Behind My Social Media Blackout