Was Quitting Social Media Worth It?

I deleted my Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts in December 2020. It seemed like a big deal then.

The thought of losing connections, wiping off my digital archives, and closing the portal to the rest of the world didn’t seem worth it.

I did it anyway.

So, what changed?

There’s nothing that I regret. The absence of a selfie-flooded news feed makes no difference to me.

However, a few months ago I had to sign-up and create my accounts for certain courses. This time I didn’t feel like following or sending requests again.

Social sites are still the circuses that they were – with random videos popping up while people show the glittering sides of their lives.

Here’s what my thoughts on quitting social media are:  

I’ve grown used to the quietness. I don’t lose my peace of mind looking at pictures of people bragging. Less of the mindless scrolling, too.

I still waste time. Let me clarify that I use YouTube. I have a LinkedIn account and WhatsApp. I can still waste my time browsing the internet.

I’m usually the outdated one. I have the least ideas about what several people are up to. I keep hearing random news from others.  

I don’t network like them. Making ‘connections’ or reaching out to new people doesn’t happen much. I run the risk of becoming a vulnerable lone wolf.

Doing lesser trivial stuff. I don’t pout and choose filters. This one I’m actually glad about.

Focused than earlier. I don’t spread myself too thin. I don’t gather chunks of inspiration. I do a few things with stillness.

I don’t spend much. I’m free from the pressure of having to do something cool so that I can post about it. I’m also lesser influenced than others. I don’t see tons of retargeted ads either.

The guilt of hypocrisy. I work in advertising, and I indirectly pull people to use social media more. Since I often speak against it, that makes me a hypocrite. No hiding.

Gah, I think I can go on about this stuff. I can make the above list longer. But let me get to the gist of it.

To sum up my thoughts, I feel social media manipulates and controls us in weird ways. It makes us do things.

It burdens us with a lot of emotional baggage and insecurities that we don’t even realize.

Despite all its charm and advantages, we become freer when we let it slip away and observe what the change feels like. The change frees us from illusions and rinses our souls. 

I’m still not convinced about hopping back on the bandwagon.

Not yet.