This post is part of a series called: Follow Yourself: The fine art of using social media without being used by social media
Here’s the overview:
- Why Social Media is Toxic?
- What’s The Main Purpose of Social Media?
- Why is Quitting Social Media So Hard? (current post)
- How to Properly Use Social Media
Books, long-form articles, time alone thinking… Everything that takes time today is met with incomprehension. The content we now desire to consume needs to offer insights now. It needs to satisfy our short-term goals because, after all, short term is all that matters, right? The long term is all imagination and promises. The crowd demands results today!
We can’t deny it. Social media is part of our lives, whether we admit it or not.
We might say that we are not controlled by the algorithm serving us tailored content. That we are not damaged by the endless stream of stuff swarming our brains. Yet, as you will find below, there is hardly anyone who can confidently state that their mental health is not, in some way, bruised by these life-sucking channels.
Even celebrities often report that their gloomy mood is caused by overusing social media. They are torn between their need to produce a beautiful feed and their desire to be authentic.1
Why is that? Why can’t we break free? Why we can’t evade the online attention trap? And why the usual advice from online gurus who tell you to turn off the notifications is hardly working?
I mean, I’m sure you’ve heard them before. People talking about quitting social media and others suggesting turning the notifications or deleting the app from your phone.
Of course, you’ve tried this. Many times. But you know it’s not working.
Why?
Simple, this is not a permanent solution. It’s a band-aid solution.
If you’re a smoker, will you quit smoking when you throw away your pack of cigarettes?
Hey there, sorry to interrupt…
Since you’ve come this far, it seems that you are passionate about pursuing depth over distraction. I am too! And while what I’m about to say next probably won’t quite excite you, I have to say it…
Look, this is members-only content.
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See, I digest acres of complex ideas from various resources and morph my findings into straight-to-the-point book summaries, thought-provoking articles, and practical courses. The main goal is not only to help you understand the underlying concepts from badass ideas. But, also, to help you stay curious, inspired, and well-educated. Above all, though, I want to help you transition from a passive online consumer to an active, mindful go-getter with a sense of purpose.
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- This story about how a typical day of an influencer looks like explains it best: “Many of the 12 influencers I spoke with while researching this story said they felt tied to a static, inauthentic identity. They often lamented their inability to put down their phones and laptops and said they were constantly online. If you want to be an influencer, you need to interact with your audience at all hours; taking a break is considered a big no-no.”
- Cold Turkey is one of the best tools to block sites for a specific time frame so you can focus on the most important tasks.
- Based on a study on how comparing ourselves with others is affecting our real lives.
- Mimetic theory. Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimetic_theory
- We tend to compare ourselves to people we perceive to be better than us. We rarely compare ourselves to people who are worst than us. And while checking what others are doing can be beneficial – it can inspire us to improve. If not properly managed, upward comparison tends to induce negative feelings. Sources: LINK; LINK.
- Durmonski, I. Seeking wisdom by Peter Bevelin [actionable summary], Durmonski.com. Available at: https://durmonski.com/book-summaries/seeking-wisdom/
