I like to test my discipline. I thought about giving up drinking many times before finally resolving to do it. I made a list of the pros and cons of my 3-decade habit and found the cons way, way outnumbered the pros. Even the pros that I had long used as a justification, like moderate drinking is good for your health, are debunked by recent studies. More plausible is that the benefit attributed to alcohol has to do with the social time spent with friends, family, and new acquaintances, and nothing to do with the beverage. Alas, this post is not about alcohol, a habit I quit nearly seven years ago and only regret ever acquiring the habit to begin with. It's about staying off social media for eight weeks.
I've considered getting off social media and terminating my accounts altogether. That's a drastic step. Undoubtedly, there are valid reasons for shedding social accounts, but my mind is more methodical. I need a list of pros and cons. I don't plan on terminating accounts because there are, indeed, pros. Nevertheless, committing to staying off social media for a fixed length of time is a test of will power.
Occasionally, when self-doubt or low self-esteem pop up I can remind myself that at least I don't drink, and that's not nothing. It may not qualify me for an award, but it is significant when I see how much that liquid is pushed throughout American culture and how many fellow Americans indulge.
So, why not apply that same discipline to staying off social media? I was never in the military, but I've always wanted the discipline it takes to complete 8 weeks of Basic Combat Training. In Basic, recruits must surrender their devices. I won't surrender my device, but I will stay off social media. When the urge for expression strikes, like now, I will share a blog post without sticking around to see the comments.
What are the pros and cons of staying off social media? Let's start with the cons:
1. Disconnects you from friends' feeds – True. I won't have the benefit of seeing posts by friends. But, you know, this mobile contraption has some useful technologies that allow me to communicate with humans in other ways. There's also the oldest of social interactions: an actual visit in-person. Face it, Facebook was never about being face to face with anyone.
2. Takes you out of the loop (like being an ex-pat) – I was an ex-pat for seven years in Switzerland. I was physically and mentally out of the American loop. Not being on social media for 8 weeks will prevent me from commenting and participating on others' feeds. Two months ain't seven years. I think I can handle it.
3. No immediate gratification (likes) – "likes" require but a tap or a click. Even a compliment requires words and a semblance of thought. And compliments only matter if they're genuine. Most of the time compliments serve the speaker, not the recipient.
I left out the importance of promoting your business, a celebration or an event. Those aspects of social media usage are not what my crosshairs are targeting. Instead, I'm talking about avoiding taking the rage-bait and arguing with people I barely know over politics, when neither of us stand a chance in persuading the other to concede their point and agree to disagree. We would be better off face to face where there's more personal risk, and thus, reward.
It is a rite of passage as an American to freely express yourself. Being enshrined at the top of the Constitution and all. However, I am no influencer. I'm not running for office. I won't self-censor if what I have to say is authentically what I believe. I'm not afraid of public ridicule when I stand for principles I believe in. Nevertheless, back to the “I am no influencer and I'm not running for office.” I value my time, now more than ever, as I knock on the door of my sixth decade. Yes, social media is in my crosshairs as I consider to what degree its usage values or de-values my time.
And now, let's bring on the pros to staying off social media:
1. Quiets mind chatter – This I can confirm happens almost immediately. Once I'm not paying attention to social media, their algorithms that track and distract me are gone. Out of sight, out of mind. Damn it's quiet!
2. Helps you regain focus – Without rage-bait suddenly real-world challenges are front and center. “Taking care of business - Everyday - Taking care of business…”
3. Makes you more present in your physical domain – Without the immediate fix from social algorithms, stopping to chat with a neighbor on the street, assessing what maintenance on car or house needs tending to, or planning something to do with my spouse takes on greater importance.
4. Frees up time and thinking for real world goals – This goes along with number 3. Place more value on what's right in front of you. Rather than being preoccupied with mind arguments after an FB exchange and its mobbish mentality, I'm focused on actual responsibilities.
Three weeks have transpired. Five to go. I set some real-world goals that I'm aiming for by the conclusion of my 56-day social media hiatus. At that time, I may be obliged to share any new observations. Whether or not I'll ever return to daily social media usage I make no long-term proclamations. Eight weeks is the challenge. Should you take the challenge? Is mind chatter getting in your way?
