it's seems lately, a trend among people i know is unplugging from social media. at first, i was like "yes. i'm doing that" and deleted my facebook account. about three weeks passed before i re-activated it. it was at this point (in june) when i began thinking each time i go online: what am i getting from spending this time? i don't even try to think this, it's just automatic. it probably has to do with the fact that my mom only gave my siblings and i one hour of leisure time on the computer each day per person and if we wanted more, we had to actually pay money for it -- at the time, it was SO annoying cause like, how could i possibly get my sim promoted in just one hour?, but i'm absolutely going to do this with my children and they're going to hate me for it! can't wait!
anyway, i like facebook a lot. is that uncool to say? i like seeing my friends, current and past, sharing their engagement photos or announcing a pregnancy or writing about their jobs. it's fun! it brings me genuine happiness. i also like the videos of pygmy goats that my dad shares to my page and the one-minute crock pot recipes that are all over my newsfeed.
i have found that other platforms aren't as ... what's the word? ... agreeable? i deleted my tumblr account a few years ago because it was a time waster; i could scroll on that shit for HOURS. pinterest was the same story, except i never even started that, i knew it was bad news. i had a snapchat account, but i legitimately could never figure out how it worked (am i 23 or 83, honestly).
the lastest account to bite the dust was my instagram. i kept asking myself why i (or any of the people i follow) was posting certain photos. am i stunned by this latte art or am i trying to inform the public that i'm having a latte today? also, how did i have so many followers? don't they realize my content is completely art-less and mostly stupid?
i began to imagine people taking their photos, what they looked like positioning stuff into making the best image so they can get the most likes. i know this isn't how all people use their instagram accounts, but c'mon, you know a lot of it is that. i began to see it as so shallow and trite, i had to get off of it.
i have to admit, shamefully, that it has been an adjustment. it's weird (in a good way!) to have so much less to look at on my phone. plus, i think sharing my photos on a blog rather than via an instagram account makes it more permanent and personal.
i feel like there's so much pressure to be as connected as possible. i'm even a little fearful about what not having an instagram might mean for how employable i am! nevertheless, i was getting nothing out of it. if anything, it was stressing me out and pissing me off. why would i do that to myself? your online experience is just that, yours. if you like being on 100 different platforms, do it! if you want to throw your computer out the window and start using your old razr again, go for it!
i'm enjoying this dumbed down social media presence. it makes me want to do more to sculpt what i have. i've been thinking about deleting my apps on my phone and only allowing myself to be on social media when i'm on a computer... but that will come when i'm truly ready because being rash means failure if you're me.
also, i kept my twitter. i love twitter. twitter forever.
