I know there is nothing more boring than someone talking about how they quit social media! And yet! It turns out! All those people are actually onto something. I quit TikTok a few years ago (the most addictive social media platform for me but shout out to queer TikTok), but I’ve been thinking about how my life has changed since quitting Instagram around Christmas last year (loose quitting, since for now I do log on once or twice a week for ~ 5 minutes to share this Substack or a podcast episode. That will likely change soon).
I felt so great when I was off Instagram from November - January. If I wasn't trying to build out The Rebis I would probably go off of it entirely. I'm trying to focus on Substack instead but it's tough! Congratulations for making this big move!
You know, back in 2014 I could not CONTAIN my excitement at getting an IG account. It was a pretty different beast back then! And I was lucky to connect with some folks who have become really central to my life- for them I am grateful. Something that strikes me in hindsight is how different everyone’s social media experience is. I mean, it’s straight up tailored to each individual! I’ve only ever had one app at a time- facebook until 2013, then IG. In the last 5 years IG has become a kind of hell for me, and I’ve found that no matter what boundaries I attempt to set the app or the algorithm thwarts them. I often feel like I’m just not social enough to navigate social media unscathed! It’s so complicated and nuanced and slightly insidious? I’m also looking forward to a summer of being more present in my physical surroundings!!
I never had to "do" social media as a job or as part of one, but I've definitely tried to be one of the cool kids over the years. I'm old enough to have watched the internet come into existence, I used to write a blog before the word blog existed. When you had to run your own website, because AngelFire, LiveJournal, WordPress, et al didn't exist.
Genuinely connecting to people that we'd otherwise never even know existed has always been the most fun and fascinating part of the internet for me. The more "social media" became a vehicle for conducting business (e.g. the less social it became) the less interested I've become.
These days, I have all the notifications turned off on all the apps, and I only check them when I remember, which feels like the right way for me. I guess I'm lucky that I don't really get caught up in doomscrolling, because if I start to get overwhelmed by anything, my brain's natural reaction is to remove me from the source of the problem, so I just close the app and move on in most cases. I know a lot of people can't do that, and I have friends who stopped using certain apps entirely for the same general reason you describe.
I want to slow down this summer. I end up doing a little bit of a lot of things without thinking about what I'm doing, and then I feel like I'm not getting anything done, because I'm not doing the important things. So I want to slow down. Ask myself what the important things are. I work with computers and I get most of my entertainment through computers, so I want to take time this summer to walk away from all that. Sit with a book in the park. Take a notebook and think. I did that two years ago and it helped. Last year wasn't the best year and I didn't do that, and I missed it.
I have a few genuine friends that I met through the social internet. We text, we call, we do things together virtually, we meet up in person when we can. That feels right. Social media can be connective, but so much of it is an illusion, a thin film that shatters like Spring rime as soon as any life pressure is applied. This summer is for strengthening the bonds with the people who are genuinely part of my life.
thank you for sharing eryn!! I'm excited about your upcoming novel !!! for me, I leave social media somewhat regularly. but since the pandemic started I've been very physically isolated from my friends and community. social media allows me to feel less alone & isolated. it's not a replacement and it has some MAJOR drawbacks but I'm trying to hold compassion for the parts of me that are lonely. I'm in my mid-twenties but hopefully I'll be getting my license soon and then I can connect with more people IRL! wishing you & everyone reading this lots of good rest and pleasant embodied experiences! thank you!
You may enjoy off the grid. A podcast alllll about leaving social media and being a creative person.
I felt so great when I was off Instagram from November - January. If I wasn't trying to build out The Rebis I would probably go off of it entirely. I'm trying to focus on Substack instead but it's tough! Congratulations for making this big move!
You know, back in 2014 I could not CONTAIN my excitement at getting an IG account. It was a pretty different beast back then! And I was lucky to connect with some folks who have become really central to my life- for them I am grateful. Something that strikes me in hindsight is how different everyone’s social media experience is. I mean, it’s straight up tailored to each individual! I’ve only ever had one app at a time- facebook until 2013, then IG. In the last 5 years IG has become a kind of hell for me, and I’ve found that no matter what boundaries I attempt to set the app or the algorithm thwarts them. I often feel like I’m just not social enough to navigate social media unscathed! It’s so complicated and nuanced and slightly insidious? I’m also looking forward to a summer of being more present in my physical surroundings!!
I never had to "do" social media as a job or as part of one, but I've definitely tried to be one of the cool kids over the years. I'm old enough to have watched the internet come into existence, I used to write a blog before the word blog existed. When you had to run your own website, because AngelFire, LiveJournal, WordPress, et al didn't exist.
Genuinely connecting to people that we'd otherwise never even know existed has always been the most fun and fascinating part of the internet for me. The more "social media" became a vehicle for conducting business (e.g. the less social it became) the less interested I've become.
These days, I have all the notifications turned off on all the apps, and I only check them when I remember, which feels like the right way for me. I guess I'm lucky that I don't really get caught up in doomscrolling, because if I start to get overwhelmed by anything, my brain's natural reaction is to remove me from the source of the problem, so I just close the app and move on in most cases. I know a lot of people can't do that, and I have friends who stopped using certain apps entirely for the same general reason you describe.
I want to slow down this summer. I end up doing a little bit of a lot of things without thinking about what I'm doing, and then I feel like I'm not getting anything done, because I'm not doing the important things. So I want to slow down. Ask myself what the important things are. I work with computers and I get most of my entertainment through computers, so I want to take time this summer to walk away from all that. Sit with a book in the park. Take a notebook and think. I did that two years ago and it helped. Last year wasn't the best year and I didn't do that, and I missed it.
I have a few genuine friends that I met through the social internet. We text, we call, we do things together virtually, we meet up in person when we can. That feels right. Social media can be connective, but so much of it is an illusion, a thin film that shatters like Spring rime as soon as any life pressure is applied. This summer is for strengthening the bonds with the people who are genuinely part of my life.
Oh! I just wrote something on my Substack about a very similar process. Good luck! Welcome back brain chemistry ;)
thank you for sharing eryn!! I'm excited about your upcoming novel !!! for me, I leave social media somewhat regularly. but since the pandemic started I've been very physically isolated from my friends and community. social media allows me to feel less alone & isolated. it's not a replacement and it has some MAJOR drawbacks but I'm trying to hold compassion for the parts of me that are lonely. I'm in my mid-twenties but hopefully I'll be getting my license soon and then I can connect with more people IRL! wishing you & everyone reading this lots of good rest and pleasant embodied experiences! thank you!