A few weeks ago, I did a social media cleanse in which I unfriended and unfollowed tons of people and limited my time spent mindlessly perusing Facebook or scrolling through Instagram. Or so I thought I limited my time. I've become much more conscious of the fact that I will still sit and look through post after post that I don't truly care to see, frustrates me, or is just a waste of my time. I could be reading, writing, doing the homework I'm procrastinating on, baking, sleeping, going to the gym, going on a walk, and so much more, but instead, I am seeing the 88th article about Donald Trump plastered all over my feed. Facebook- the content I am finding on it, not the platform itself- for me has become a source of utter frustration. Going on has become more of a chore rather than something I enjoy: I have to scroll through the hundreds of things I don't care to see in order to find what I am looking for.
As much as I love keeping up with people who I normally don't get the chance to talk to as often as I'd like, that's not what social media is anymore. The term "News Feed" is no longer news about people's lives, rather news about all the things going on in the world. Worst part? It's all negative. It seems as if no one can find any sort of light anymore, and when they do, someone else makes it negative somehow. It's an endless cycle.
In the time I would normally spend on social media, I'm going to read a book. I am going to do more writing, focus harder on school and my studies, spend time with family and friends, and appreciate the things in life that I have been missing out on with my nose buried so far deep on Facebook and Instagram. Life has so much value that it's not worth wasting on something that is a source of aggravation, not pleasure. I want to enjoy my life, every moment of it.
See that rainbow in the cover photo? When it appears in the sky, I want to see it. I don't want to log on to Facebook later on in the day and find out about it from someone else's picture of it, I want to take the picture myself.
Aside from the automated Odyssey article posts, I am going to give social media up for a little bit. If you feel the same way or similar, It's possible that you might need to, as well. If you are interested in giving it a shot, there are multiple social media detoxes online that might make the transition a little easier if cold turkey isn't your style.
So for now, goodbye, social media.
