Why I Took a Break From Social Media
It’s been over a year since I last posted on Instagram, one of the main culprits of my then excessive social media usage. In the fall of 2019, I was in the midst of trying to complete my master’s degree as soon as possible. The deadlines were mounting and my desire to finally complete something that had been in the works since 2015 was at an all time high. But despite that motivation to remain steadfast with my work, I’d often find my attention and ability to focus compromised. I’d write a few sentences and feeling satisfied, I’d check my phone. Compulsively. I’d waste time scrolling endlessly. And when I’d exhausted all content on Instagram, I’d move onto the next app. Facebook and then Twitter, sometimes repeating the process and ending up back on Instagram.
Around this time last year, I found myself caring too much about the wrong things. In this case, it was caring too much about something that really didn’t matter at all. The so called metrics and analytics associated with my Instagram account that I was really trying to push. I had reached a point where I found myself caring about insights such as likes and views. I’d excitedly post a photo that I spent much more time than I’d like to admit editing and refining. Upon posting I’d repeatedly check to see how it was doing or performing in a sense. In hindsight, it was incredibly compulsive. I was over it. I was over scrolling. I was over using these apps to communicate with people, often times leaving several messages in my inbox unread because I simply didn’t want to attend to them anymore. I was over waking up and reaching over to my phone to check up on all of these apps. I had to reprioritize and get my focus back. My mornings and nights back.
I deactivated Facebook (which was long overdue) and Instagram, keeping only the Messenger app and at times Twitter installed on my phone. My decision to take a break from social media was reaffirmed while reading 24/6 by Tiffany Shlain (https://www.24sixlife.com/) in which she extols the benefits of reducing screen time and dedicating a day a week to a tech-fast.
With less time wasted on these apps I found myself creating a solid daily routine. Mornings spent meditating and journalling, and walking or running. Productive days full of progress on my thesis. Time spent with my family, friends, and girlfriend. Nights spent reading or working on creative pursuits. Not that I needed the reminder, but removing those apps from my life reminded me that anyone who really wants to connect with and see me will make the effort to.
It felt nice largely being “off the grid”. I didn’t care to see what other people were up to, nor did I care to share what I was up to or had been working on back then. I did not feel the need to broadcast every little thing to an audience of people I do not even know.
At times throughout those 8 months, I would accidentally log onto Instagram on my laptop’s browser which would then reactivate my account. After even just a few moments spent perusing through the app, I felt strange and completely turned off by it all. It felt like this constant bombardment of ads imploring you to consume more and more, endlessly.
In the midst of the craziness that has been 2020, there was also rampant negativity, an insane amount of conspiracy theories, and a ton of divisiveness. Twitter was worse. There was the so called “doom-scrolling” phase of constantly refreshing the app to attain updates and new information on the worsening pandemic or escalating social justice movements. So I got rid of it all. I do think it’s important to remain informed and aware of what’s happening at home and abroad, but not at the expense of my mental health and well being.
So I became more intentional with it. Non-negotiably I told myself that if I were to use Instagram again in particular, that I would only do so intentionally. No more wasting time on it, no more getting lost in it. No more fixating on numbers and metrics that mean nothing to me. All I want to do through it is share my love for photography, the images I create and the stories behind them. If such intentions happen to leave a lasting or positive impression on someone or inspires people to spend more time outside and gain a deeper appreciation for nature then fantastic! So that’s where I’m at now. Determined to use social media in a constructive and positive way and hopeful that the words and images that I share resonate with others.