Note: I wrote this post a few months ago, and added the final words this week. And since it still applies now, I figured that today was a good day to publish it.
It happened slowly, at first.
I was especially busy one of the days during the week and didn’t have time to get to the end of my Instagram feed. Well, never mind, because I could always catch-up tomorrow. The next day, I started scrolling, but didn’t quite get to the end either.
Before I knew it, I was too many days “behind” to catch-up and would have missed some posts from fellow Instagrammers.
In the end, I decided to stop trying to get to the bottom of my Instagram feed.
If I had time to scroll through Instagram that day, I would. Otherwise, I would scroll for as long as I could and leave it at that if I didn’t see everything.
And it was incredibly freeing.
It was incredibly freeing just checking in whenever I wanted to, not simply because I “had to” get to the end of my feed for that day. It’s ironic how something that’s supposed to be fun can become such a chore or duty sometimes.
The truth is, most days, being on Instagram (or social media in general) takes up way more time than it should for me. To procrastinate reading school assignments, I scroll through my Instagram feed. To postpone doing chores, I read blogs. Social media becomes more of a way of escape than connecting me to people like it should.
So instead of using social media for the sake of it, I’ve decided to make it fun again by connecting and disconnecting as I need to. After all, life needs to be lived and I’m choosing to be present for what is happening today, right now.
Because sometimes, I like to disconnect. And that’s okay.
Yes and yes. I like to think of it as Digital FOMO and certainly guilty of it. But having a baby and moving within a few months of each other cured me. I know I’m missing out on things, but if I don’t disconnect I’ll miss out on some things in the life that’s happening right in front of me. Loved this post, Amelia!
Go for it. I did this in December and it was sooooo good for me. I’ve stopped trying to get to the bottom of my feed. I unfollowed a whole lot of people (even those that I really admire). Using social media intentionally is wonderful. Using it to pass time or procrastinate, not so much. Rooting for you. xx
So glad you can relate! I’m definitely going to try disconnecting regularly so I can enjoy the moments when I actually connect.