In Living Color
It’s been a solid couple of months now since I deleted Facebook and pulled Instagram off my phone, (following Diana’s example a year later!). I still have an active “placeholder” page so we can keep the gyms public business page, but outside of making sure it’s still showing our information, I’ve been able to steer clear.
The results have been amazing:
I spend far, FAR less time on my phone. It’s ridiculous to look back and see how much time I wasted scrolling, honestly. I was “keeping up with things”, which just wasted valuable time.
I have had more real conversations with friends. Less online “chat” and more real, substantive conversations
I’ve been reflecting on time more. I keep realizing, as I was pushing a truck back in forth with my son, just how extremely valuable every single minute I get with him, my family and friends is. I also have been somewhat grumpy, for lack of a better word, about how much time was sucked out of my life by digital platforms trying to replace the life sitting right in front of my eyes.
Politics has been wonderfully less confusing or divisive. I can read well written blogs, discuss ideas with others in person or via phone/text directly, and see through the digitally manipulated chaos. I realized, even though we know what we are consuming on social media is pushed by algorithms that sort, filter, and present what it thinks we’d be interested in, or even worse, and far more dangerous to our society, censoring what the platform “believes is best for us.” (sounds a little Ministry of Trust ish…)
I’ve learned more. I can now use the internet the way it used to be helpful: Reading how-to blogs, op-eds, and build my depth of knowledge for coaching, engineering, business practices, home maintenance etc.
The list goes on.. but, I can say it’s been a massive positive change. I’m thankful to have seen a few friends do the same and watching them realize how much time they have to enjoy real life, outside of the gray substitute of social media.
I’d challenge you to at least try - deactivate your facebook and instagram for a month and see how you feel. Or, if you really want to make it a “no-return” situation, delete your accounts fully with no backup. It feels like leaving school after graduating, with the refreshing feeling of freeing yourself to do something new like pending more time, truly present, in person with those you care about :)
Hebrews 10:24-25
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.