What I Hate About Deleting Social Media
So it’s been a little over a month since I deleted all my social media apps and I’m here to report the findings. It's not all rainbows and sunshine...
Be warned: This is basically as long as a TedTalk. Maybe pin this blog to read later when you have the time—no hard feelings here!
‘Cause I gotta be honest with ya, friend. Since deleting my social media apps, it’s been pretty dang good. Like, way better than I expected.
But--
Let me start with what sucks about it. (Yeah--there’s some downsides!)
I feel a little “left out”. (More on my true feelings about this coming soon!) But essentially I feel a little like, “What’s going on? What am I missing? Has my girl posted this? Shared that? WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD?”. Seriously, I didn’t realize how much I relied on social media to keep me “connected” to what’s actually happening. And to be completely honest, I’m realizing that it’s like a “weirdo” way to be connected. ‘Cause I’m not even connecting half the time, I would just be creepin’ away, thinking I’m up to date with everyone and everything and I wouldn’t actually be reaching out and chatting, talking, or truly connecting, y’know? Like this creepy observer keeping tabs on my friends. Weird. So, I do feel a bit like the twilight zone over here not knowing what’s happening outside of what we chat about in real life.
I feel a little embarrassed. I reach for my phone SO MUCH MORE than I thought I did and I automatically tap where those apps used to be without even consciously thinking about it. Jake and I have this running joke now where I go to tap where those apps used to be and make this snort/laugh and he automatically guesses which app I tried to open that was deleted. LOL! It’s actually amazing how much more I reached for those apps than I ever expected (and when -- hello, even when I’m peeing? What is that!). It’s kind of embarrassing actually.
I miss some peeps. There’s a few folks I follow on the ‘gram that I don’t personally know, or I was just getting to know, and I don’t have their contacts or emails. And...I miss them. I don’t have a way of connecting with them, like I can here with you. (So awesome, by the way! Thanks for letting me into your inbox, friend.) It’s motivated me more to reach out and actually ask people to be real life friends, like us, instead of just on social media, y’know?
4. I'm bored. Yeah--this might actually be a good thing, but for right now it's weird. All this time on my hands. 10 minutes here, 20 minutes there. In the morning, before bed...What do I do with myself?? Social media was my "go to" when I had a free second of time to "check on things". And without that as an option, I'm left with these new found blocks of time and I'm not sure what to do with myself yet. LOL
5. I'm afraid my business is failing. I'm not proud to admit this but...I measure my "success" with numbers, likes, and followers. Website clicks, views, impressions, and conversion time. I use social media to promote, to sell, to connect, to share, to encourage and support. A part of me is afraid that when I'm not on social media, I'm going to miss out on opportunities to connect and book work. I will miss that speaking connection, the perfect coaching friend, the collaboration that will be the next "thing". Do you know what I mean? And I have to be honest here, I don't think that's right. This social media break is making me rethink (and re-do) my business structure. 'Cause let's get real. I want a business that grows without social media. And those numbers above? They aren't true measures of success. At least not for me. But for right now--I'm afraid of failing.
OKAY. You get it, there’s some downside to this. I know friend, it's not what I expected either. BUT LET ME TELL YOU. It has been WAY MORE GOOD than bad.
Here’s the truth: I’ve caught myself actually saying out loud, “I love that I’m not on social media.” to myself when no one’s around. What? Yeah. It’s that good for me.
Can I keep ya posted in a little while with those findings? I can't wait to share the good stuff with you. I think you'll agree with me!
This past week without social media has been refreshing and eye-opening. I hope it’s brought up some new thoughts for you, too.
Please, tell me:
Have you ever taken a social media break? A screen break?
If you did, can you tell me what you noticed? Was it the same as me, or different?
P.S. Wanna stay in touch? Leave your details here and we can keep the convo going!