If you want to get more done—write more, read more, have more meaningful relationships, enjoy a better focus and healthier mindset—get off the platform.
I am posting far more here on The Silver Key, because I have suddenly found more hours in the day.
I am reading more books, with more attention.
I am calling and talking to friends more often.
I am writing up a storm on LinkedIn, actual thoughtful business content.
I don’t need to read other people’s hot takes on gun control/no gun control, abortion/not abortion, Trump/never Trump. As if what you write on these topics will ever change anyone’s mind. They won’t. Better off pissing into a headwind; at least you only piss on yourself.
There is room for all these conversations. They should be had. But not everyone needs to have an opinion on every issue.
Most people haven’t figured this out, so I’ll say it again: You don’t need to have an opinion on everything. You can remain silent, and think, and admit you don’t know, rather than spew shit on Facebook, and demonstrate your ignorance to the world.
If you believe in a cause, great! Act. Get involved. Do something beyond hot takes on social media, that vanish into the ether. And then follow the media's lead and move on to the next "outrage." Remember all the outrage about masking/not masking?
I don’t want to sound smug about my decision (that’s how I viewed people who made these breaks, outwardly and loudly, in the past. Which is why I just deleted my account without fanfare). But I’m glad I made it, unequivocally. And I think you should at least consider the same, a short break even, see what happens.
Time is our only non-renewable resource, and social media platforms ravenously eat your time, which you’ll never get back. Engaging in nonsense, blood-pressure raising discussions is one way Facebook eats your life. But passive scrolling, and “likes,” which is what Facebook/Instagram/TikTok, etc. encourages, eats up your time in an insidious fashion, far more than you know.
Companies are monetizing you, selling your data. If you’re not paying for something, odds are you’re the product, not the customer.
I may still get back on, someday, but if it happens it will be for a targeted, specific reason.
For now, for anyone wondering, seven weeks later I’m still off. And have confirmed, you don’t need that shit.
5 comments:
Good for you! Your 7 weeks post cracked me up and just reaffirmed why I have never owned a cell phone or posted on social media.
Sorry to hear you won't be able to make Howard Days. I hope you can attend one day as it would be a pleasure to meet you in person.
Will
Wow, not even a cell phone? You are a rarity... but I salute you.
Yeah, I am bummed, and will be disappointed when I read the after reports. It WILL happen, and soon, just not this year :(
Never been on, never going to get on. Social Media is a tool that seems to be easily misused. Yes, some people can use to their benefit of themselves and society, but it's rare.
I have noticed the same thing. I went 8 weeks and then allowed myself to go back and learned that I missed literal nothing on that site. I found that I have spent more meaningful time with my family, even though I have found that my wife spends a lot of time on that site, tripled to quadrupled my reading and writing time, as well as improved my stress levels because I am not always on edge and double checking everything that I say.
Yep, found it has been the same for me since I stopped spending time on Facebook. I only do a business post once a week or so. Don't miss it at all.
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