Regular readers to this blog will know what a social media addict I am. I’ve been on the major social media networks for as long as I can remember and my time spent on them has only increased since this blog took off. A social media presence and running a blog go hand in hand and you are expected to be online regularly. It went without saying that this wasn’t a problem for me. It was second nature.
A constant presence
Then I started looking after the social media for the company that I work for so I was spending my time scrolling through timelines and interacting with people even more. It got to the stage where I was eating Twitter, drinking Facebook and sleeping Instagram. It all got a bit much.
I fell out of love with Facebook a long time ago. I’ve talked about this often here. I only keep it to stay in touch with those who I am really interested in and also because you need an account to run a Facebook page, which obviously I have for this blog. But overall, I can take it or leave it. I could easily go days without scrolling through the timeline and this tells me clearly that I’m over it.
Twitter has always been a favourite but recently I began to lose interest in that too. I worked hard on my Instagram and the frustrations of trying to grow that account started to just irritate me. The follow/unfollow games that go on over there are enough to drive anyone insane and I just used to end up wondering why I was bothering.
A break away
A welcome break came a few weeks ago. Towards the end of the Summer holidays, we had a long weekend away in Torquay. Something really weird happened. I barely went on social media and do you know what? I didn’t miss it at all. I didn’t think constantly about taking just the right picture for Instagram. I didn’t think of something clever or witty to post on Twitter and well, I didn’t care about Facebook anyway, so that was no different. But it felt alien to have no desire to pick up my phone to see what the world was up to.
That same weekend, I rediscovered my love of reading. I had more interest in picking up my book than I did losing hours scrolling through lines and lines of text from people I don’t know. I lost myself in stories and I couldn’t wait until there was time for me to do it again. I didn’t miss social media at all and that is something I never thought I would say.
Has it changed since I’ve been home and has everything has gone back to normal? Well, not completely no. Yes, I’m still present on the platforms, but nowhere near as much as I was (with the exception of my Big Brother opinions!). Do I miss it yet? I can honestly say that no, I don’t.
A new balance
I enjoy it when I’m there, don’t get me wrong, but I’m happy with the balance that I’ve now reached. I’m happy that I’m enjoying another hobby that doesn’t revolve around the same thing I do for work. I like the escapism that reading gives me, it’s something that social media just can’t do for you. In fact, it’s totally the opposite.
I won’t ever leave Twitter or Instagram (I’m not so confident about Facebook!), but I have learnt to not get so caught up in it all. I’ve learnt to use it how I always used to and not feel like I need to be on it all the time. It doesn’t feel like such a chore. In fact, it feels like it did in the old days, which can only be a good thing.
Social media isn’t what it says on the tin. It’s far from social. It can take over if you’re not careful and I am really happy that I have managed to take a step back before it took over completely. I love my online friends, really I do. But I love my own little world too. Sometimes you have to work out what’s more important.
How do you feel about social media? Has it taken over your life in the past? Let me know in the comments.
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27 Comments
Hi, I had a long summer break as well but from Blogging & docial media. I have also rediscovered treading a good old fdashioned book. I guess it’s all about balance #triumphanttales
I have a love hate relationship with social media. I would love to earn enough from blogging to hand my social media over to someone else. I find all the scheduling so tedious!! It’s so good you have gained a healthier balance xx #TriumphantTales
All of this is very true – as a new blogger I feel like unless I have a social presence then I’ll fail but with daily life it burns me out #triumphanttales
It is a bit of an addiction … checking the phone all the time. I use Twitter, mostly, socially, but also to promote my latest Blog piece, to check how it is doing, and correspond with people around it, and also with bloggers and tweeters I follow, I don’t see the point of, or understand, Pinterest/Instagram anyway. I have tried, if only to widen my readership, but they’re not for me. #Triumphanttales
I completely agree with you about Facebook. I rarely look at my timeline. Instead I use it for groups, to manage my page and to buy things second hand! The others I dip in and out of, but I don’t put pressure on myself to constantly post. I prefer natural engagement to anything forced and if it feels like a chore I come away. The follow/ unfollow games used to drive me bonkers but I ignore those now too. I’d rather focus on building connections that are honest and supportive. Great post! #TriumphantTales
Oh I do relate to this post! I had a bit of a falling out with social media this summer too. It’s good to find a balance xx #triumphanttales
Jaki, I’ve been determined from my first awareness of social media to not let it take over. I know there are people who are on every single one, but I have limited mine to Twitter and Pinterest. And I only access them from my desktop computer. I’ve seen too many people whose mobile phones have become permanently attached to their hands, and I would suggest to any of those people who would really like to break their addiction that they limit their social media access to their computers! Thank you for hosting #TriumphantTales. (I hope participants will heed your message and make sure they truly participate and visit links.)
I took a 4 months break at the start of 2018 Jaki. My head had completely fallen off with the constant checking my phone. I realised just how much of my time it was taken up and I didn’t like it. This was time I wanted to play with my kids. So I ditched them all. FB / Twitter / Instagram even blogging. When I restarted again, it was light touch VS before but slowly but surely it’s sucking me back in again. Necessary evil especially in our game but just not sure how to do it successfully in moderation. #TriumphantTales
Eek – forgot to add #Triumphanttales – sorry Jaki – maybe you can add it manually for me before publishing it? Thanks, Ross.
All done! 🙂
I think it is hard to find a balance between being social for our blogs but then being present with the family and such. Good points here! #triumphanttales
I try to have fun on social media. I use my Facebook as a means of entertaining myself. I keep touch with people I went to high school with but I post anything that I find interesting. I like Instagram the best as I do is post pics. #TriumphantTales
This is so relatable. I sometimes feel like I’ve overdosed on social media and need to give myself a break. And like you, I love reading so it’d swapped the last Facebook check at night for 20 mins reading a book in bed. Which quite often turns into an hour, they’re so unputdownable! #triumphanttales
Can completely relate to this and I have to have periods of detoxing too!
I hate to think how much time or how many times I open a social media app during the day and have nothing really to show for it. It’s so easy for it to become a habitual think. I’ve wanted to take a step back too and have deliberately started buying books again to start reading more. Keep it up! (I’m guessing being tagged in film polls doesn’t help! 😂) #TriumphantTales
You are right it is constant but sometimes you need a break to have some time to think X #triumphanttales
I find social media very frustrating at times. You don’t know who is there to follow because they genuinely interest and like you or are they following you just to get a like back. I do find it takes a lot of my time away from the real world and you can get drawn into it. I stopped using my own personal facebook a long time ago as I thought, if anyone is interested in myself and my family they can call or text and even visit!
Social media is not necessary. Just like mobile phones we lived without them for generations. Balance is important and I worry we are now as a society spending way too much time recording memories and seeking someone else’s approval rather than revelling in the memory as something of quality that we can immerse ourselves in the time and that will sustain us in days, weeks, , months and years to come and perhaps especially when we lose a loved one. Sorry, that is a bit deep but basically yes let’s all get these new fangled things in perspective and live more positively #TriumphantTales
I am not a huge social media fan, if I didn’t blog I wouldn’t bother with it. I find it hard work, a little cliquey and very unsociable!! #triuphanttales
I am curious as I read this…did your blog suffer because of your respite from social media? If so, how quick was it to recover?
I am also, DONE with Facebook. I am only on there to see what some family is up to that live far away. I love that I can keep up with family that live far away and since I have an enormous extended family, it works perfect for that. Otherwise, I just use it for Facebook groups that are about topics I care about and my blog page.
I already know I am addicted to Social Media and I have been for years. I need to go on a cruise and do some forced Social Media withdrawal! LOL .
#triuphanttales
To be honest, I don’t actually share a huge amount over on Twitter. I don’t schedule my post links like a lot of people do because I personally can’t stand a timeline full of promotion, that isn’t what social media is about for me. When I do share a link it’s real time. So no, it didn’t really suffer at all. Thanks for reading 🙂
I am not so active on Facebook and Twitter but I am on Instagram. I just find that most social media posts that I come across seem so over the top.#triumphantales
I find social media so addictive. I rarely post on Facebook and only have it because it helps me keep in touch with friends who live overseas, or who live at the other end of the country. But I still find myself scrolling through most days, out of habit more than anything. I can scroll through Twitter for ages too and I’m not really sure what I’m looking for. I’d love to know (or maybe I wouldn’t!) how much time I waste each day just vacantly browsing social media…. #triumphanttales.
Do you have an iPhone? The latest software update lets you see how long you spend on each function on your phone!
I certainly have my moments with social media but don’t feel the need to delete accounts ever, i just pop back and forth, funny how Leanne’s post this week is about growing your social media sites #triumphanttales
Facebook for me has always been a great way for me to stay in touch with far away family easily, and for them to see my kids grow up. Since blogging though I can happily take it or leave it. Instagram is taking a back seat too, and I only joined Twitter when I stared my blog! Social it ain’t! I totally agree! #TruimphantTales
It can so take over your life if you let it, can’t it!!ive recently given up Instagram because it was making me feel rubbish and I was spending so much time on it and I actuallly don’t miss it at all! I’m glad you have found a new balance xx #triumohantales