Before we get into this post, let me start by saying I do not mean in this post to offend anyone or say that just because I have deleted all my social media, is not me saying that you should too, or that I am any better than anyone else who does in fact have social media.
It's been almost 2 years now since I made leap into deleting my Facebook account. It was the early hours of January 1st in fact, you could say that was probably the most New Years resolution i've yet had. About a month or two before that I started down this trail of opting out of noisy internet world by deleting all other forms (Instagram, Twitter, etc).
Building up to this moment, I had been considering it for quite some time, and now i'm out of it, I can see the why people would chose to have these platforms, but I can also see the other side, the scary side. First I will explain why I had been considering leaving these platforms behind, even way before switching off the light on Instagram.
Whether you like to admit it or not, social media can be addictive. You can find yourself constantly refreshing these pages, scrolling aimlessly, it's a great way to procrastinate and a great way to absorb time from your day. I did in fact do this, towards the end of the life of my accounts, I didn't do this as much. I didn't update my status 6 times a day, but during years before that, I definitely did. It can become an unhealthy obsession in a way, and i'm not saying every single person is like this, but from what I have seen, a lot of people are.
Another reason I deleted my accounts was for my own mental health. It was one tiny part that I feel a lot better without now. It hasn't cured me, but It is one less thing to worry about. If you knew me well, you would know that I am quite the introvert. There was always something that made me uncomfortable having a hundreds of people on my account, knowing my every move. When the majority of them people I would never have met, only met the odd time, or just not close to. I like now that people can contact me via text if they need me or want to talk, instead of having an online version of myself, the only thing I have to show of myself is the real me, I now have no worries of who's seeing me or judging the online me.
You know when you see a status, it looks like its aimed towards one person, and then that one person see's it and it kicks off.. I don't miss that. There is always one, we've all seen it. I've had it done to me too. Personally now, if I have a problem with someone of something, I can't broadcast it to the world, I deal with it heads on. I can go to that person, personally, and sort out any conflict, no audience needed and it's a lot less drama.
There are so many thing's I can say I don't miss and I can honestly say I can't name one thing I do miss. Even when it comes to bands and music, I get my updates now from music pages, or I just go check out things myself. I don't miss seeing other peoples updates all the time, or liking other peoples material to give them a brief sense of satisfaction. It's a popularity test I no longer want to be part of.
One thing that I do find highly irritating, is the constant "why did you delete Facebook", "You should get Twitter back" should I? Why? Maybe I should ask you why you haven't deleted it? I hear it all the time, and It is quite saddening that it has become alien to some people the thought of someone not having these platforms. And although you could argue I still have this blog and YouTube, I think everyone has their line, and these in my eyes fall slightly different. I use YouTube as another form of 'television', if you like. And this blog is just a way to express my creativity.
Now it's gone, I don't find myself on the internet as more, I find myself doing other things with my time. I started reading books more, being more creative and doing things I love and enjoy. I no longer have to worry about what people think about me online. If I want to show someone pictures, I'll do it with them personally. I even have took to having photographs the old fashioned way, by printing them and putting them in a scrapbook, there is nothing more special than keeping hold of awesome moments like that, rather than posting them on Facebook to later on be forgotten about.
I feel a lot better without it, I feel refreshed and it is honestly one of the best things I have ever done. If you are considering it, i'd say go for it. Your future self might even thank you for it.
No comments:
Post a Comment