What if you delete all the social media apps you have?
What will happen if you do it now? How do you feel about the idea of doing it? Does it frighten you? Or is it what you deeply want but didn't dare to do until this moment? I dare you to do it for at least a few months. Would you take the challenge?
The illusion of perfection on social media
Just to start from scratch, where do you start and how do you start? How do you live? Is it the way you want to live it? All the content on those social media platforms, where it looks all so picture-perfect. How did they come there? And how honest are they? Which roads did they have taken?
Sometimes it is easy to think that the lives of others are perfect, just the way you would like it. That's the power of social media, I guess, or do I have to say ‘the filter of social media’?
Facing the fear of quitting
I quit Instagram, Snapchat, etc., a year ago, and before clicking the button to delete it, I had the feeling that I would lose a part of myself. The feed, ‘so-called friends,’ the dopamine of the likes, the whole idea that you are missing out on something important in life. That’s the reason I didn’t do it instantly... not directly. Because of the fear I created in my mind.
And then when I chose to delete all the apps, eventually after some weeks, the peace came more and more. Whenever I was waiting at the bus stop or in the store, I didn’t instantly grab my phone to scroll…endlessly.
I didn't compare myself that much with other people. My feed was always filled with models and influencers. I felt more and more insecure by using the apps every day... almost every boring minute of the day. About how I was living, how I looked, how I saw myself in the mirror.
Looking back: the impact of quitting social media
And don't misunderstand me; it can be a beautiful, powerful tool to inspire other people with the content you are sharing, with the world at your fingertips. But it can be the devil at the same time, always consuming stuff. It will not help building my future if I just stay consuming all this content day by day. However i was, and a lot of people are, spending hours per day on social media. Because it is easy, maybe also because of the fear of missing out on something important. Because of the fact that it becomes a routine in your day, in your life.
When I look back, it is more than a year ago that I quit all those apps, and there are a few things I realized. I didn't lose a tiny bit of myself! I got back more of my confidence, living more of my life on my terms with more moments of peace. I have never regretted my choice for a second.
I'm grateful for the people I have around me. The connection I feel between me and them. It is real... as social media most of the time is not. Enjoying the maybe so-called 'boring' moments of silence in my life. Just to stand still, reflect on the path I'm going.
Rediscovering the Power of Silence
How can you reflect on how your life is going, which road you want to take, and, more importantly, who you are? If every minute of the day is filled with work, people, films, and even the small breaks in between are filled with scrolling through social media. How can you focus with all the stimuli you are consuming on where you want to go?
Just to think about it, what does social media bring you? Is it consuming you, the little time you have on earth? So, decide if it is worth your time.
When using it, use it to build your future, not to let it consume you!
Comments