A couple of months ago, I made the decision to quit Facebook. Effectively right after, I stopped logging in completely. This actually surprised some of my friends.
To sum up why I did it, I felt that Facebook was turning me into a depressed robot.
Robot because I felt trapped in a cycle. A system if you will. I hated how I would log in just to check for “a bit” of updates, only to continuously surf my feed for more and more mundane updates to get a feel of being entertained, when I wasn’t really.
Depressed because I felt my feed was turning into a stream of rotten consciousness. I hated to see shares of gory videos or some click-bait-y headline of some unfortunate tragedy and the kinds of comments it got were always only “Wow! This is disturbing!” or even “LOL.”
One of the best decisions ever
Since I quit, I’ve never looked back. You’d be amazed how much your life can change if you go on a social media fast.
No, it’s not just about freeing up time and improving productivity.
Quitting social media can go to the core of your emotions. It can transform your life.
7 ways quitting social media can transform your life
1) You’ll become more confident
One thing which really held me back with my blog and writing was that I (ironically) had a fear of sharing my blog posts. I was scared of being criticized or laughed at. As such, I always hesitated to share my posts.
But after I quit, I shared everything like a madman.
Perhaps it was just me. But I believe if you remove your online avatar/persona and virtual world from your real life, you can actually be liberated as you start to focus on everything else in your life. It’s this liberation that’d allow you to focus on other areas in your life.
2) You won’t see a need to validate yourself online anymore
To extend the last point, I believe that a lot of people have been struck by a need to validate themselves online and to put on a show. This is when people’s confidence and even their self-esteem are gauged by the number of likes, shares and followers they have.
It’s subconscious even as they rely on this social currency. Face it, you know that on some level this is true.
If you quit social media, you can be transformed as you start to validate yourself with real-world things, like passion, health, fitness and even money.
And both you and I know that focusing on them would make the real difference.
3) Your mood can improve
You have to agree with me on this. No matter how many friends you have online, there’s always a thorn among the roses sticking out like a parasite.
This is when people start sharing depressing news or stupid videos depicting gore or violence.
One click on them and you’ll be transfixed, for a while at least.
I’m not saying not seeing these disturbing shares would mean they aren’t there, but why give yourself a visual? Why let such negativity cloud your mind? The world has its shortcomings already. You don’t need a visual.
4) You’ll see your friends in a new light
I once saw a share from a friend who commented “This guy’s kid looks retarded and has down syndrome.”
I was disappointed he’d use such derogatory terms. Yet, he’s a decent guy and I know he’s a nice person.
Just like how people seek to validate themselves online, I think people today are basing friendship (and communication) online too much. We’re judging people’s character based on their shares, likes or whatever.
Quit social media. Kick it back old school. Communicate with people in person already!
5) You’ll be more aware of your surroundings
Quitting social media effectively means getting rid of the mobile apps.
So yes. When you’re out, you’re not going to be constantly checking your phone for updates. You’ll then of course, start to look around with your eyes. When was the last time you did that?
Becoming more aware of your surroundings can be an amazing thing. It may sound cheesy, but the new little things you can discover around you can go a long way. Perhaps you noticed how nice that new house is in your neighborhood, or watched a mother interact with her toddler on the train and that warmed your heart.
It’s things like this that makes life, life. You can’t really get that online.
6) Life literally becomes real and you won’t have to doubt yourself
I don’t care what you think of the internet, but here’s one truth: You can’t believe everything you read or see online.
Not even a “credible news source” is truly ever credible. They’re just words anybody can use.
It always amuses me to hear from friends who are so amazed from reading some conspiracy theory news article and start to think they gained a piece of awesome knowledge.
Learning is of course cool, but to take everything you see on social media as truth? That’s not cool. That’s basing your life on what others think or say only.
So quitting social media can actually, again, liberate you as you start to focus on your life. You’d know everything is real and not riddles. You’ll create new experiences which you can keep as memories and share with others.
7) You’ll have a deep sense of appreciation for everything you once enjoyed
Tell me. When was the last time you watched an entire movie or TV series episode without checking your phone?
Heck, when was the last time you surfed the web without opening another tab for social media?
This is not just about distraction. This is about appreciation. This is about remembering what lights your fire and touches you deeply. This is how you appreciate the finer things and go back to being yourself.
It’s hard to actually appreciate something on social media since everything is happening so fast yeah?
This is the impact quitting social media can have. It can be very powerful. So give it a whirl. If you aren’t ready to quit, take a small step first, like deleting the apps or fasting for a few days.
You’ll see meaningful results.
Although… do help me share this post on social media 😉
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This is a really good article I have to say I quite because I realised the most beautiful things in life are not in Fakebook! Our lifes are going fast and when you look back you are 50 years old, and all you life was being wasted in front of a mobile phone
Very Nice,
Very much agree that Social Media is a time sink with no inherent return.
I quit social media 6 months ago and haven’t looked back. I am happier, confident and less anxious. Thanks for a great article.