Minimalism: Digital

Social Media

Social Media

Aren't we all thankful for social media? We can find our relatives or long lost friends through it. We can talk to someone who is located on the other side of the world. It brings people closer. It should. Until we spend our entire day flipping through the news feed and barely communicated with the people in front of us. That same thing we are so happy about is the same thing that separates us from truly connecting with people.

How many hours do you spend on your phone in a day? Do you use your phone when you are on the bus? Do you automatically take out your phone to check for updates on your social media accounts? Can you live a day without your phone?

A lot of people creates different identities online and pretends to be someone else just to escape the reality. The truth is, they aren't living to now. They aren't living at all.

We are no different from those type of people who are creating fake identities. Do you go to certain places and take pictures just so it would look good on social media?

Can anyone still recall the time when we talk to people across us without constantly viewing our smartphones?

Yes, social media had tremendously helped us but too much attachment to it causes a lot of problems.

Hmm? Problems? What harm could social media do?

Let's not deny that there are a lot of times when we see someone on our social media and felt, "Oh, her life is better than mine. I feel so bad. My life is miserable. Why am I the only person miserable?"

I've felt that.

There are also times when venting out felt so much better if you put it on social media. What we don't know is that we give negativity and spread it all across the internet instead of dealing it ourselves. Your co-workers or friends who saw your post would comment or talk about it and nothing is really resolved. You'd also be hated for it. You'd also hate the post once your anger subsides. Then, you'll feel silly ever posting it.

I've been through that.

Reading through social media mindlessly costs us time. That time that we lost, for the entire day, could've made us more productive.

It's hard, I know, because I've lurked on social media sites before although I am not really doing anything good. I am only seeing other people living their lives and feel bad for myself.

Then I decided to change.

I spent less and less time posting on social media until I spent less and less time being ON social media. I've cooked and cleaned the entire house during the time I wasn't on social media. If your workplace bans the use of smartphones, it's for good reasons. Besides security, it is for us to be productive. We take for granted what we are doing because scrolling through social media feels so good.

I'm not saying that we should stop using social media. I use Messenger to contact almost everyone I know because it's cheaper. I barely use text messaging. We have a group on Facebook where we use for updates on our work. I use social media to promote my book.

I always uninstall my social media apps and just install them after a week just to peek on it. Like cheat days for people who are on a diet.

I was addicted with online shopping, too. Buying items that I only use once or never and then regret about it.

Have you tried uninstalling your social media account for a day? Just for a day. Or keep the messenger if you still want people to reach you. Did you notice how liberating it is?

We are chained to our smartphones. We are imprisoned on social media apps.

I watched CNN and saw that there's a place in India where you can retreat for 30 days. Upon checking in, you will need to leave your phone which you can claim at the end of the retreat. For 10 to 11 hours a day, they meditate. They are not allowed to talk unless they have questions. All of them, at the end of the retreat, felt so free. They claimed their phone at the end of the retreat only to call their family.

Just try it, for a day. I usually do it especially I want to focus, if I'm writing and I want to be inspired.

We get a lot of information on social media that we actually don't need. The quizzes, the political views of others, the gossips, people selling their stuffs, fake news and upsetting posts from other people. In my experience, removing the social media apps lessened the times which I had a writer's block. Before, it would take me months before I could write anything. I'm not a doctor but I think it's something to do with taking in a lot of information that is not needed therefore it leaves no room in our mind for creativity and inspiration.