A year ago this month, I uploaded my last post on Instagram. I was in a rough season of my life and I was looking for something that would be an easy change with a positive impact. So, I quit social media.
I logged off Instagram and Facebook with the goal of having a month-long social media vacation. But, once I got a taste of what life was like with no social media, there was no going back. And while 2020 has been a complete dumpster fire, my social media fast has been a definite bright spot.
WHAT I DON’T MISS
FOMO. Since the pandemic kicked into high gear in March, my family made the decision to stay home. Once things started to open back up and more people became accustomed to wearing masks, we started making regular trips to the parks and some (super small, mask-wearing) backyard get togethers, but that’s about it. I haven’t dined in a restaurant, stayed in a hotel, or hopped on one of those highly discounted flights in an attempt to do my part and help slow the spread. It’s been the right decision for me and my family, but it hasn’t been easy. And you know what would’ve made it even harder? Scrolling through Instagram and seeing my friends catching flights, not feelings. I like to keep my fear of missing out to a minimum and not make things harder on myself than they already are.
THE PILE ON. A problem I had with social media was that it was always one of the first places I ended up when something bad happened. It’s natural; you want to connect with your friends and family, and commiserate over a loss, an injustice, or a tragedy. I think that’s a positive. However, it can easily become overwhelming and stressful when scrolling through your timeline and seeing post after post of the same traumatic event. Take the murder of George Floyd, for example. While it was important that his murder was caught on video as it may help put his killer behind bars, I was happy to not be on Instagram and have to stumble across that footage over and over.
WHAT I DO MISS
THE JOKES. No need for a long explanation on this one. Social media can be so hilarious, Twitter and Instagram especially. I’m sure I’ve missed out on some pretty hilarious jokes during my reprieve.
THE INSPO. People are so creative, and I would get a ton of inspiration from art to outfits on social media. That has definitely been lacking lately.
Writing this post, I can’t help but notice that my “What I Don’t Miss” section is a lot lengthier than “What I Do Miss,” and that sums it up. While there are things I miss about posting and scrolling on the apps, I don't really miss social media as a whole. Which means you may see another version of this post next year.
Would you ever consider taking a break from social media?