6 Things To Expect When You Leave Social Media
Now more than ever we need to unplug and de-stress. However, it is easier said than done. We all live in a bubble of curated information, specifically designed to engage us and keep our attention, whether the information is true or false is a whole other issue. It has always surprised me when I bring up this bias caused by news feeds and social media, whoever I am talking to about it admits and agrees with the issues, but doesn’t believe it applies to them. How can you be so sure? EVERYBODY thinks they are fair and balanced, and don’t have an issue with their social media, and that is exactly one of the problems. Just like Alcoholics Anonymous, the first step is admission. I admitted my viewpoints were skewed based on what I was being presented on social platforms. It’s not our fault, it’s simply how the algorithm keeps us coming back, but we must admit that it effects us all, because it really does regardless of how aware you are of it.
You don’t have control over how your news feed makes you feel, and that’s okay. It was designed that way, and we were not designed to take on the entire worlds woes every minute of everyday. We are tribal, but we aren’t supposed to know exactly what our friends are up to all the time. The jealousy, the envy, the confirmation bias, the waste of time. The issues stack up like a Jenga tower of bruised egos.
We all know that person that posts “I’m getting off of social media for a while, if you need to reach me blah, blah, blah.” It’s all just another cry for attention. Revere me who has the strength to get off of social media, but not before I let you know I am logging out as some sort of look at my bravery power move. Pfft. Please.
Now here is what really happens when you leave social media…for good.
1. You Won’t Know What To Do With Your Phone At First
For the first month or so after getting off of social media I found myself in a weird limbo. I would unlock my phone out of habit and stare at it, but without social media I didn’t have anything to do. I would find myself just staring, like I should be doing something, but I’m not. Eventually I found what to do. While I still spent much less time on my phone, I did find the time to do productive things on it like clean up my email inbox, or pay closer attention to my finances. Just like with any broken bad habit you will find ways to fill the time, and in this case it will most likely be more productive than reading the comments on your uncle’s extremely uninformed political post.
2. People Will Not Miss Your Online Presence
When you delete your social media you are sure that people will notice. You will have friends reaching out to make sure you’re okay, you will be praised for your bravery. Nope. Not the case. You will not be missed, in fact most people probably won’t even notice you’re gone. Even your own family members will not notice the lack of your presence on their news feed. It sounds sad, and this is probably what keeps a lot of people on social media. There is fear of being forgotten, but just know it is not that you are being forgotten, it is that these people are so wrapped up in their own bubbles of self-validation you were hardly noticed to begin with. Sorry.
3. You Won’t Miss Being On Social Media
The plus side to the above point, is that it works both ways. You may not realize now, but there is hardly anyone on your friends list that later down the road you will be like “I wonder what they’re up to right now?”. Oh, really curious? How about you call them? There is also an upside in the fact that you don’t know what they are doing. How boring is it to see a friend you haven’t seen in a long time, but because of their social media feed you already know everything they’ve been up to. What do you even catch up about? Let’s bring back some mystery and find out what people are up to the old fashioned way, by actually talking to them about it. You will also find yourself doing things for yourself. There is something nice about doing something cool and NOT running to tell the internet. You’re just playing the other side of the FOMO coin for someone else otherwise. After a few months you won’t even miss it at all, you’ll wonder what the appeal is and why you were ever on to begin with.
4. You Will Still Be Informed
If you are using social media as your main source for news then that is a big problem to begin with. Censorship, bias, and unreliable sources are all still well and alive on all of the socials. While they have experienced fallout from allowing “fake news” on their sites, there is no real way for social media to truly inspect and verify every piece of news that gets posted. Not to mention it’s not like more reliable sources haven’t also posted falsities. If you really care about consuming fair and balanced news then I would suggest allsides.com, which posts headlines and news from all sides of the political spectrum side by side so you can spot the differences. There are also your local news sources that are pretty reliable, and aren’t going to fill your head with a bunch of atrocities that don’t effect you in any way. Believe me, you will stay informed without social media, maybe even more so.
5. Data & Privacy Is Still A Concern
A big reason many suggest getting off of social media is for data and privacy concerns. It is no secret that Facebook and the like are collecting all of your information and making predictive suggestions, etc. They have manipulated emotions in psychology experiments unbeknownst to users, they have swayed elections and caused civil wars. Why would you want to be involved in something like that? However, leaving social media doesn’t leave your data and privacy concerns behind. If you are concerned with your data then you need to be more diligent then just deleting your Instagram. Google searches, email, online purchases, even your text messages are all subject to data breaches. Getting off of social media is just the first step, but scrubbing your data from the web is an ongoing process. There are many tools and apps to accomplish this, but that will need to be its own article.
6. You Will Be Generally Happier
You might feel a little empty at first. You might suffer from a little FOMO and be tempted to just download that app again and take a peek. DON’T DO IT! Give it time, the withdrawal will subside and you will be grounded in reality once again. You will eventually feel comfortable there as your Attention Deficit Disorder lessens and you are actually able to focus for the first time in years. It may not be that drastic, and it may take time, but I guarantee you will be generally happier eventually without social media. We weren’t made to intake the worlds problems. You don’t need to know about every tragedy that takes place. Reassess your surroundings, what are you doing for yourself? How are you spending your time to better your own future?
Without the distraction of social media you can take a moment to appreciate what you have, where you are at and those around you that you spend real face time with. The stress of the world will melt from your shoulders, and you will be a better person for it. You will be present once again, and happiness derives from being in the present moment.
Now quit scrolling and start living!
