Yes, you read that correctly. I did not log into social media for 40 whole days! I know what you’re thinking, and trust me I’ve heard it all — “I could never do that!”
“You must get bored a lot, huh?”
And my personal favorite: “I feel bad for you.”
I’ll admit, I was a little upset I didn’t get to use the puppy face filter on Snapchat, it took me forever to figure out what this “Damn, Daniel!” thing was about, and I sadly forgot a couple of birthdays. Besides that, I learned a lot about myself and how social media has shaped me.
Firstly, I give too much energy to social media. I’m going to be honest with you, at times my Twitter and Instagram feeds can leave me feeling disappointed or even a little jealous. People pick and choose what they want you to see; flaunt the good things and hide the bad — beside from the occasional Twitter rant. I realized I was overwhelmingly fascinated in the lives of my followers and, to a point, it was keeping myself from living my own life without comparison. Not having social media relieved a lot of tension and I began to take pride in the moments that were mine and only mine and not shared with 800+ people who probably wouldn’t read it anyway.
Secondly, I found that I was grossly obsessed with being left out. But, what exactly was I really missing out on? Maybe about 140 characters or five seconds from someone who I probably haven’t spoken to in three months. But, most importantly, I now understand this concept goes both ways. My posts aren’t relevant to anyone’s life but mine. We sit behind a screen and tweet and post and Snapchat away at everything for a few likes, while at the same time complain about everyone being in our business.
Also, not having the apps on my phone gave me a better understanding of time. Stopping to check social media during homework time was a huge distraction for me. Homework time was ultimately cut in half! While I was waiting for class to start or for my friends to meet me at the dining hall, I would usually check my feed during times of awkwardness or insecurity. I realized I couldn’t check Twitter or Instagram but I was actually waiting and did a lot of people watching, which wasn’t half bad.
One last observation; if I wanted to see what someone was up to, I actually had to go out of my way and text them…crazy right? I found that I assumed my friends will remain my friends just because I’m their “follower.” This is not the case. If a friendship is worth having, you have to show some effort. Engaging in your “social media life” more than real life is making you more antisocial than ever. Think about it!
So what happens when I get it all back? I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t extremely excited! For the first day I’ll be busy stalking my best friend’s favorites and feeds. But, one thing is for sure… I will not let those 40 days go to waste. I will be sure to put my phone out of sight when something needs to get done, give friends the real attention they deserve, invest more time into living life and put less effort into social media. I encourage you all to do the same!
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