This is something I've been really thinking about recently and what you say about the feeling of it running in the background is definitely something I'm aware of too. Even when I'm not looking at it I still feel as if I exist in these spaces and have to keep up a certain amount of appearances. In fact, it feels entirely natural to live like this and even saying that sours something in me. I'd love to quit entirely but I feel like (as tragic as this is!) Twitter is my news outlet and Instagram is how I see my friends?! Also with books coming out over the next few years is it the time to be making myself *less* visible? I am sure I'd be more productive without them but would I also be less informed or... lonely?
By trade I'm a bookseller and some days the only sales my small indie shop makes are through social media, so it's a not something I can entirely step away from but I do need to find a better balance.
I am experimenting with "out of sight" out of mind. Its amazing the difference between having your phone on airplane, vs having your phone turned off (remember that?) versus putting your phone in the closest drawer. Try each. You will feel the layers. It's weird, but ultimately returns you to yourself in bits. Not bytes. @_@
I took a step back from social media this year (and wrote about it in a post called Digital Detox) after reading Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. Highly recommend reading that book! There is a whole section on the importance of solitude that is gold.
I jumped back on briefly in July and felt the life being sucked out of me. I’m happily off IG, FB, Twitter, and all the other things. Now, I may be binging too many Substacks, but that’s educational, right?!
'Somehow it’s running in the background of my brain all the same' - yes! This is something I struggle with too. I use Instagram a lot to share my writing, and generally I enjoy it, but it can definitely tip into taking up too much brain space and feel like yet another thing to be creating for. Have been proofreading my manuscript for the last fortnight or so and this past week I've quietly stepped away from posting (and trying v hard not to scroll too).
Ah i love that meg mason pain barrier excerpt, so true. Just before reading this, sitting on a train doing nothing, i actually wondered to myself how long i could cope with being bored. Not very long as it turned out, although at least the first thing i read was this.
This is something I've been really thinking about recently and what you say about the feeling of it running in the background is definitely something I'm aware of too. Even when I'm not looking at it I still feel as if I exist in these spaces and have to keep up a certain amount of appearances. In fact, it feels entirely natural to live like this and even saying that sours something in me. I'd love to quit entirely but I feel like (as tragic as this is!) Twitter is my news outlet and Instagram is how I see my friends?! Also with books coming out over the next few years is it the time to be making myself *less* visible? I am sure I'd be more productive without them but would I also be less informed or... lonely?
By trade I'm a bookseller and some days the only sales my small indie shop makes are through social media, so it's a not something I can entirely step away from but I do need to find a better balance.
I am experimenting with "out of sight" out of mind. Its amazing the difference between having your phone on airplane, vs having your phone turned off (remember that?) versus putting your phone in the closest drawer. Try each. You will feel the layers. It's weird, but ultimately returns you to yourself in bits. Not bytes. @_@
I took a step back from social media this year (and wrote about it in a post called Digital Detox) after reading Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. Highly recommend reading that book! There is a whole section on the importance of solitude that is gold.
I jumped back on briefly in July and felt the life being sucked out of me. I’m happily off IG, FB, Twitter, and all the other things. Now, I may be binging too many Substacks, but that’s educational, right?!
'Somehow it’s running in the background of my brain all the same' - yes! This is something I struggle with too. I use Instagram a lot to share my writing, and generally I enjoy it, but it can definitely tip into taking up too much brain space and feel like yet another thing to be creating for. Have been proofreading my manuscript for the last fortnight or so and this past week I've quietly stepped away from posting (and trying v hard not to scroll too).
Ah i love that meg mason pain barrier excerpt, so true. Just before reading this, sitting on a train doing nothing, i actually wondered to myself how long i could cope with being bored. Not very long as it turned out, although at least the first thing i read was this.