Centering after Social Media

Almost a year ago, I deactivated all my social media accounts. While I had been considering taking a break and had periodically taken breaks from time to time, that day my daughter had asked me a simple question that hit me right in my heart.

“Mom, does the Earth get sad if we don’t look at it?”

Her simple, innocent question gave me pause. It was July 2020 and I was definitely swept up in looking at my phone – not at the earth, and not at the real people around me.

While I wasn’t a prolific social media poster, I did have active Facebook and Instagram accounts. My personal Instagram account had over a thousand followers at the time. Did I even have a thousand friends? I knew most of my followers, but I was feeling the pressure to post something everyone would “like.” Was I posting something because I had something to say, or because I wanted people to like what I said?

I made the decision to deactivate my accounts. I shared a final post to say goodbye and then simply deactivated. It was not very hard to do once I made the decision.

In the weeks following my deactivation, I felt as if a cloud were clearing from around my head, like I was coming out of a fog. I began to feel more centered in the moment, more present, and more in touch with the world around me. A lot of my worries and anxiety started subsiding, and I felt less agitated in general.

Shortly after I deactivated, the movie the Social Dilemma started trending. I watched it and learned about the algorithm and the ways in which social media manipulates its users to extend the time they’re exposed to ads. Watching that film cemented my resolve to stay off social media a bit longer. I’m not saying I’ll be off forever, one day I would like to rejoin in a smaller capacity, but I’m not ready to yet. Life is good on the other side.

There are a few blog posts that have helped me feel less alone in the non-social-media world. Here are a couple I’ve enjoyed.

• 10 Reasons to Quit Social Media by Alexandra Franzen
• How Quitting Social Media is Changing Everything for Me by Kelly Rae Roberts

Social media has many powerful and awesome purposes. Some of my favorite people and most of my teachers are active on social media. It’s just been nice for me to see the world outside of it this past year. And I’m very grateful to you for continuing to read my updates. Thank you for reading and thank you for being a part of this community.

Sending big hugs and wishes a beautiful month ahead. See you next month!