I haven’t seen you on IG for a while
I took about six months off of instagram earlier this year. It was sooooo nice.
My favorite thing to say when people would tell me “I haven’t seen you on IG for a while” was “Oh yeah, I blocked you” haha.
I completely deactivated my account for about six months and was only ever on the app for a different business’s account. The reason I deactivated my account in the first place was because the content was boring, the algorithm isn’t doing it for me right now - I was rarely seeing content from friends and was wasting so much time looking at strangers lives or weird recommendations that were again, boring and a waste of time.
I had a few realizations while I was off social media, none of which are ground breaking but it was good to experience it for myself:
The algorithm is scary, and we know this. But witnessing it first hand was wild. Being that I was on someone else’s account more during this time for work, it became terrifyingly clear that these platforms create very different and very pointed realities for each individual user.
The image of the world created on socials isn’t reality. We get wrapped up in what we are seeing online but you walk out your front door and the experience is much less intense (thankfully).
It was a great reality check for how I was spending my time, energy, and attention. I typically only interact online with people that I also know IRL but I still was wasting plenty of time scrolling and reading comment sections. When you start reading comments on some of these posts it makes me wonder how much time and energy people spend arguing with strangers online about usually irrelevant things. Taking a break really illuminated this for me even more.
My head certainly felt clearer when I was off Instagram, which makes sense. There wasn’t constant content being poured into my eyeballs every moment that I had a “break” in my day.
Ultimately I was reminded that aaaaall these people posting aaaaall these things, love it or hate it are just that - PEOPLE. Being behind a screen dehumanizes everyone, and quickly, beware of that.
As I am adjusting back into having my Instagram account “live” again I can see how quickly you get sucked into the obsession/addiction of it all. Because of the break I notice the mindless scrolling and the mood shift/energy drain that occurs from too much time spent staring at a screen, much quicker. So I’m staying vigilant with myself to limit my time spent on the app.
My recommendation whether you want to stay on socials or not is to get out and (1) touch some grass, there’s a whole beautiful world out there, stop trying to experience it through your phone and (2) talk with more people in the real world, in person, make more eye contact with strangers, even if it’s just in passing, smile and say hello.
I polled some friends online about tricks and habits they have to help themselves maintain a healthier relationship with socials
Setting your phone to grayscale, the lack of dimension makes everything much less stimulating and less interesting to look at.
Utilizing an app timer, so simple, so effective
Deleting the app. One friend mentioned deleting the app as a sort of detox when she finds herself spending too much time on socials. Another friend only uses social media from her computer (much less convenient). A client of mine mentioned she deletes the app after she posts her work/marketing stuff.
Curating who you follow - this has been a big one for me lately - we grow, we change, accounts you used to follow may not be a good fit in your life. If someone’s content makes my eyes roll that’s a clear sign that it’s time to go. (If you are worried about unfollowing someone there is also the option to just “mute” accounts.) For my entrepreneur friends, you don’t need to see what my professional competitors are up to all the time, mute them and focus on your own business.
Know your purpose, when you do decide to go online remind yourself of why you are there. Are you looking for information from a certain person? Are you settling in to laugh at some funnies with your partner? Are you engaging with folks for the sake of making connections for your business? Scrolling isn’t always bad, but it is good to know why you are doing it.
When I notice myself mindlessly scrolling or spending too much time looking at a tiny screen I ask myself “Is this helping me live the life I want?” Typically it’s not, so what would be a better use of my time, in alignment with what I actually want and how I want to feel. Simple things like, going for a walk, reading a book, drinking a glass of water, tidying my space, etc.
My favorite response: Go to the mountains. Put your phone in your backpack and put it on silent. Being on your phone in nature is so contrary to what the experience should be, you simply aren’t inclined to do it.