I quit social media...for good

Photo by Pui

So I quit social media...for good! The reason I quit social media is simple - life is too short to spend at least 2 hrs daily on social media. Here's why I took the plunge and actually quit social media.

• Firstly, I felt too much pressure to show what I am doing. Gone on a trip, post about it. Like I did last week on https://www.lorraine-moalosi.com/essential-travel-my-trip-to-london-in-photos/. Met a guy that you like, post about him. You had fun, did you really if you haven't posted it on Instagram?
• Secondly, I think social media creates sub-conscious comparison. I have come to the realisation that I don't find the things I do impressive unless someone else is doing them. And then I think to myself, oh look how amazing they are. Why can't I be like them.
• And then that leads to too much aspiration and very little gratitude - unless you are the one constantly on holidays, fit like a model and have the love of your life. Otherwise it makes life seem drab when life is a blessing.
• Fourth, the constant need for engagement as a way of validation is not a great feeling.
• Fifth, social media consumes so much of your time that it distracts you from:
  • knowing yourself
  • knowing what you truly want
  • going after your dreams
  • planning your budget properly
  • staying in the moment, (you need to capture the right photo of the moment remember
• And finally, honestly the list is endless on why you should quit social media. If my opinion isn't fantastic, here's Dr Cal Newport, who has been off social media for a while, telling you why you should get off it too. Now! (Haha)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E7hkPZ-HTk

What quitting social media feels like

I love my 'bepimpled' face

In case you missed it, I'll repeat. I quit social media...for good. Are you wondering what it feels like? Well, here's a list:

• It feels eerily quiet. I can literally hear the birds singing outside my window. The cars driving down the road, I can hear those too. And yes whenever my neighbours step out into their gardens, I hear that too.
• For some reason, it feels like I have more time on my hands. Now this is not a bad thing at all because I need that time for far more important things. But yes, the days definitely feel longer.
• I feel very clear. How I feel at the moment is akin to how I felt as a child in Botswana. My mind is not distracted and noisy. It's just clear. Which leads me to my fourth point.
• I feel present. There aren't a million thoughts going through my mind. I feel completely present.
• Although today I feel completely content, I am also a bit doubtful. I keep thinking, how long is this going to last?
• Furthermore, I keep thinking what about my blog? Most of my readers find me through social media. Will my blog only have 5 readers from now on?
• Lastly, I have done this before. Quit social media...for good. Only to return to it. What am I going to do differently this time?

I quit social media...for good to make time...

• For me. I can spend 2 hours on social media daily but could never spend 15 minutes meditating daily, or just walking. Or just doing something...anything for me.
• To live authentically. There's so much pressure on social media to perform and live up to other people's standards. And so we morph into whatever we need to be to survive social media. For example, I have noticed that whenever I pose in bikinis or anything scant, I get more engagement on social media. So I considered becoming a swim suit and lingerie model. I apparently have the body for it. Nothing against swim suit models, you do you. But I'll be damned if I become something just so I can get more attention.
• I want to make mistakes without worrying about keeping up appearances.
• There's so much I want to learn from life but social media is distracting me.
• Again, the list is endless of what I am hoping to do now that I am off social media.

Do LinkedIn and YouTube count?

Although these might technically be classified as social media, I haven't quit them. That's because I still want to network for my career. And my other hobby, outside of blogging is creating films. One of my dreams as a child was to make documentaries. And I kept on saying one day I will, one day I will do it. But I never really did anything. The time is now!!