I grew up in the eighties. Back then, the most exciting thing we had to make contact with the outside world was a rotary phone. Occasionally a chain letter would make the rounds. Those were heady times.
As someone who loves to connect with people, the advent of social media was like being let loose in a candy store. I got in touch with old friends, made new ones and discovered a whole other world to the one I currently inhabited. Life online was sweet.
But then I began noticing what a time-suck social media was. Even worse, the amount of negativity clogging up my feeds was overwhelming. For someone on a permanent news fast, this was especially annoying.
A MINIMALIST APPROACH TO SOCIAL MEDIA
At first I tried to manage the situation by employing a minimalist approach to social media. This helped downsize the negativity to some extent, but it by no means eliminated the problem.
Plus, there was still the issue of the time I was wasting scrolling mindlessly through my feeds. Let’s be honest, social media is like crack to a procrastinator and we writers drag our heels better than most when faced with a deadline. We’ll literally do anything to avoid facing a blank screen and blinking cursor. Root canal, anyone?
In the end I had to admit that social media was more master than tool. Thoughts of quitting cold turkey crossed my mind, but I had all the usual reservations. If I wasn’t on social media how would I peddle my freelance writing services? How would I market my blog? How would I stay in touch?
CAL NEWPORT: QUIT SOCIAL MEDIA
My problem solved itself a short while later when I came across Cal Newport’s TEDx talk Quit Social Media. He outlines the three main objections he gets from people for why they absolutely have to be on social media and then offers a valid counter-argument for each.
The man has never had a social media account, so he probably has a better perspective than most when it comes to the benefits of eschewing the medium.
In his book Deep Work, Cal argues that focus is the new I.Q. in the knowledge economy. He claims that people who master the art of concentrating without distraction are the ones who will thrive.
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We’ve all heard how goldfish have a longer attention span than humans. Whether or not that’s true, the fact remains: most of us struggle to keep our attention on one task for an extended period of time.
Watching Cal’s talk reminded me of my own struggles with concentration. It was time to rip off the band-aid once and for all. I immediately deleted my Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram and personal Facebook profiles.
I thought there’d be a ‘What the heck have you just done!?’ moment, but it literally felt like a heavy weight had been lifted.
THE BENEFITS OF QUITTING SOCIAL MEDIA
As the days turned into weeks I began noticing a host of positive side-effects from my decision to quit social media. The further along I get, the more convinced I am that I made the right choice. I honestly don’t miss being on social media one bit.
Less Procrastination
I’m a writer, we procrastinate. I’ve made peace with this fact, but at least now it’s down to an acceptable ‘do some light housework before diving in’ level. Before, an entire morning would be lost to the wormhole that is social media.
You may be less of a procrastinator than I am, but there are plenty of science-backed reasons to take a break from social media every now and then.
Increased Levels of Productivity
I’m way more productive than I used to be. This is the happy side-effect of no longer having social media to distract me from the task at hand. Before, it always felt like I never had enough time in the day. Now I’m getting stuff done.
Task-switching negatively impacts your productivity anyway. Imagine how much less you get done when you’re switching between work and social media. Take it from someone who knows, it’s not a whole lot.
Increased Levels of Creativity
I’m more creative than I’ve been in a long time. I constantly have ideas for blog posts and articles popping into my head. Before I’d struggle to come up with things to write about, now I’m brimming with possibilities.
Social media kills creativity by stealing your attention and leaving you in a funk of information overload. Spend an hour on Facebook trawling friends’ (and ex’s) timelines and all you’re good for is vegging on the couch with a bag of chips.
Increased Levels of Happiness
I’m much happier now. I’d often have an underlying feeling of anxiousness before, even if my day was going well. Since quitting social media my default setting is one of happiness. There’s a sense that everything is fine and life is good.
Research has shown that social media affects our mental health. It’s been linked to anxiety, sleep problems, depression and even eating issues. Of course, this doesn’t mean that everyone on Facebook will automatically suffer from these things.
However, it’s important to compare your level of overall wellbeing and life satisfaction with how much time you spend on social media. If you’re still not convinced, take a break for a couple of weeks and see how you feel. I’m willing to bet you’ll be happier.
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