Distraction Free Zone after 4 years of disconnecting from social media
I made a lot of observations after disconnecting social media for 4 years that I wanted to point out!
-I noticed how everyone is constantly reaching for their phones, even in the middle of a conversation. Personally, I find that incredibly rude. Whether out with friends, family or on a date — we should be living in the moment and not craving what the next notification consists of. (I know I am guilty of this before being self-aware!) Why are so many people consumed with the notification on their phone vs what is happening in real-time?
-Within a week back on social media, I noticed that most of the posts are overshared and don’t consist of something to gain knowledge on. I read somewhere several months ago how the TikTok algorithm is different for Americans than it is in China. In comparison, the number one trending video in China, at the time, was a young girl playing the violin, yet in America the number one video is a girl twerking.
-I feel like I hardly ever see posts with real meaning or passion anymore. Most of them are just a couple of words or a random image with no context. It makes me wonder — what am I getting out of scrolling Facebook or Instagram? And honestly, I don’t have a great answer. What I wish I saw more of: people making goals, people crushing their goals, working on cool projects, making career moves, sharing knowledge, personal growth, and positive energy.
-People tend to post every time they do something aka overshare. Looking back at my prior posts, I cringe how much I overshared. Why did we all become so easily persuaded to share with everyone all our activities? Have we all become tunnel vision on wanting to be noticed? My focus is quality over quantity. I want to write something engaging or share knowledge like my previous video about protecting your information on data breaches.
-When you zoom out, most of the content on social media is cluttered by entertainment filled by those that seek attention as currency. I guess it may differ for each person, some need the distraction / entertainment. I on the hand feel like it’s a waste of time spending countless hours in the day scrolling. But for me? I just don’t see the point in spending hours scrolling., I don’t need the distractions. I would rather read a book about a topic that I’m into or code a project — I want to feel productive. You won’t realize how many more things you can accomplish without the distractions of notifications.
-I gained a lot of clarity, especially during the election season. I didn’t just go along with what my friends posted or let mainstream media shape my views. Instead, I made a conscious effort to think for myself. I think that’s so important — forming your own opinions rather than just following the crowd (herd mentality). I was able to see the bigger picture of a lot of issues.
True understanding often comes from stepping back and viewing things from a fresh perspective. My goal when I post (from now on) is simply to inspire my friends, encourage greater self-awareness and promote positivity. If even one person tells me this post changed how they think, that’s a win in my book.
