Social Media Break: First Month Off

The title “social media break” simplifies things, but I’m only really off Instagram (where I was spending 6-7 hours a day) and Facebook (which I really don’t like no more but keep around like a bad relationship). I kept TikTok because I only follow my children and they’ont play about us not breaking our streak. So I log in, find something to send them, respond to what they sent me, and I’m done. In and out in 5 minutes top.

After a month, a week, and some days away from IG and FB, it feels like I’m in an addiction support program. I feel like a new vegan telling everyone around me why they should try it. Here’s the aha moments I got so far:

The addiction is really the phone

When I uninstalled IG and FB, I spent just as much time on my phone the first couple weeks. Instead of scrolling social media for hours and hours, I constantly checked my emails and texts, and even became addicted to playing New York Times games. After about two weeks, it hit me: I’m still tripping (aka addicted). That’s when I started finding routines that feel better.

Routines work for me

I still feel Zora Neale Hurston with everything in me when she said she hate routine. But she was talking about imposed routines. Before I started working for myself in 2012, my life was a strict schedule: wake up at 5:30, get the kids ready, go to work, help with homework, cook, clean, and repeat. This routine suits some, but not me. Having absolutely no routine don’t work for me either though. I thrive on routines I choose, and they often change. And these days, I’m more in tune to when it’s time to change it up and what I’m needing instead.

I find new things to study

Two rabbit holes I’m chilling in these days are ChatGPT and Human Design. After my friend Shenay encouraged me to explore Human Design further, I found its insights, even about digestion, surprisingly accurate. If you ain’t familiar: “The Human Design System combines elements from astrology, the I Ching, the Kabbalah, the Chakra system, and quantum physics to create a unique blueprint of an individual’s personality and life path. It aims to provide insights into one’s strengths, challenges, and optimal ways of interacting with the world.”

I got that definition from ChatGPT. I asked it to explain what the Human Design is in two sentences. ChatGPT has been a game-changer for creating study aids, simplifying textbook passages, brainstorming business ideas, finding grants, and more. Yesterday, an editing client explained why she switched from first person to third person so often in her book and wondered if it could stay that way. I asked ChatGPT to give me examples of books that have done this, and now I have a list to peep if/how this can be pulled off for her book.

I’m writing more

Newsletters, articles, book manuscripts, and my penpals. Even turning some of my friends who I’d typically text or DM into my penpals.

Good rest makes me not even miss it

Last week, I logged in to checked my DMs real quick and found the apps jarring to my spirit, so I hurried up and uninstalled again. I’m spending more time away from my phone, not just social media, and I’m loving it. I’ve had to re-learn how to be bored and adjust to being with just my thoughts and feelings without distractions, which is pretty damn revealing. I’m noticing when and why I’d ordinarily pick up my phone and start scrolling, and…it’s interesting.

I ain’t missing nothing

When I logged in to check my DMs, there were only messages from friends and family with funny and inspiring stuff. I informed people how to reach me for business on my last post before logging out, and it’s worked perfectly—I ain’t missing no money, I still receive important emails, and my closest peeps send me must-see content via text.

Connections feel so much better

Nothing is curated and we kinda gotta tell the whole story because I have no clue what you’ve been posting. It also puts me in the position of asking more questions and listening more, because I don’t see the trending topics. And because I don’t see my closest peeps in my feed, I enjoy our texts/calls/visits so much more.